Nemesis
by mmil612
Summary: Elizabeth Bennet is finally about to solo launch her first professional engineering project into the water, but can she save herself, her new firm and her heart at the same time? **Now Complete** Final Epilogue Added!**
1. Chapter 1: Nemesis

**Lovely readers/reviewers. **

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**~Lady M**

* * *

**Chapter 1: Nemesis**

One quick look at the _Nemesis_ and Elizabeth knew she was in love. Sleek lines, raw power, beautiful specs. Some dreams were so out of reach that you knew your mind allowed you to have them just to remind yourself what fantasy was. This was it. This was her fantasy. She could almost imagine owning this boat and taking her out.

Her first trip would be straight to Hawaii, well, maybe she would stop in Catalina and do some diving before Hawaii, but with a small crew of a few friends, she could handle this boat with ease. She pictured sitting on the aft deck, watching the whales and enjoying the sunset after a day on the water. 92 feet of wonderful were under her feet. 5 decks, 4 staterooms and a dreamy full kitchen.

Why were those fantasies always her alone though? Hhm...definitely something she would have to think about more later.

3 months later and her work on this magnificent boat was about to come to close. Apparently, the yachts wealthy owner actually wanted to slip her permanently in Marina Del Ray as they would be coming to LA soon, so she would get to see her (the boat) all the time, just not be aboard every day like she had been .

_Figures..._ Elizabeth thought to herself quietly...

_EVERYTHING in LA is about putting on a show. _

She secretly hoped they weren't typical "plastic" LA people.

Based on the amount of money they had spent making this boat "green" allowing her to use her new design, she thought they probably weren't, but as her invoices were paid by FD Enterprises and her friend Chase who was the Captain of the boat had told her almost nothing about the mystery owners who requested annonimity, she couldn't be sure.

Sitting on the foredeck for what was probably the last time, she was decked out in ripped cut offs, her trademark purple Crocs and an old UCLA sailing t-shirt, her mop of impossible long honey brown curls was in a tight bun hidden under her favorite fishing hat.

Her startling green eyes were covered by a pair of vintage Raybans sunglasses that 20 years ago had probably belonged to her father.

She wore the goofy fishing hat when she was on the water so the crew would treat her like one of the guys, because when she was younger and crewing with her Dad, no one took her too seriously.

Somehow, in the past 10 years it became her signature look. They also all started calling her "Beni" –well down here on the docks anyway, so she just called herself that and her business that too. Beni, short for Bennet-even though it was only her family name and in reality, she had a perfectly great first name of Elizabeth.

Maybe at 27 it was finally OK to be a woman and do what she did, but it had seemed too formal and stiff for a bunch of sweaty guys who smelled like fish working the million dollar yachts of Marina Del Ray when she was in high school and then in college and now it seemed too late to change. So Beni of Ben Engineering, was really Elizabeth, but it was hard to tell under the fishing hat and Raybans unless you got a look at her figure under the baggy workclothes-or checked out her sparkly purple Crocs.

As Beni was now just treated like one of the guys, she doubted anyone she worked with would ever ask her on date, or even remember that she had long hair and shaved her legs.

Then again, would she even want to date one of them anyway?

_Probably not!_

She had worked hard to earn her engineering degree and dealt with 4 years of taunts, jeers and jests centered around her being one of the only girls in her year in the Engineering school at UCLA. She could now claim to drink, play darts and write code as well as any of the guys –but that wasn't what had earned their total respect. Her completion of the Navy Seal entry tests near San Diego with flying colors (beating most of the guys in her test class) turned her into just one of the gang.

She was intellectual and athletic-while most of her classmates rarely saw the outside of the design lab, and she made a point of keeping herself at the top of her athletic and academic game. After successfully teaching a few of them to surf and paddleboard, they stopped treating her like a strange UFO (unidentified female object) and more like a peer.

Everyone she cared about already knew that she could be found most mornings listening to music paddling on her board through the Marina Del Ray intercoastal. It was how she saw the best new boats up close and from the waterline, was able to check out engine props and get ideas.

More important to Beni though was hanging out with the harbor seals and checking on the health of the struggling Marina Del Ray ecosystem. Now, the only difference between her and the guys from school were that most of them had sold out and gone to work in Silicon Valley building ever smaller cell phones and wireless routers (BORING!).

Beni had spent her time since graduation a little differently. She was working on a new type of marine diesel motor. With a dual engineering and marine science degree, she was determined to make these big yachts easier on the ocean. Reduce fuel and leakages, travel farther on less pollutants and destroy less of the beautiful marine life around her. Working on the _Nemesis_ was her big chance. To prove to herself and the guys that her dream was just as big and just as important as theirs. That she could do it on her own and that a women could change the world of boating and responsible marine econsystem management for the better just as easily as any man could.

_CRAP!_ She was running late again. How did she allow herself to get lost daydreaming every single time she was on this boat?

_**Duh**_! Elizabeth thought to herself-look around again!

_This entire boat is one big daydream. What woman in her right mind wouldn't dream about the life she could have if she owned this boat. _

She allowed herself to think about the owners for just a moment. She had no idea who they were, as her invoices were made out to a company that thankfully paid them on time, but didn't even have a website. She thought for a moment and decided that as long as it wasn't drug money fueling her future, she hoped they would at least appreciate the changes and modifications she had made and enjoy their time on the boat as much as she had.

She was planning one more engine run for testing and fixing and then would ask the crew to run the inter coastal with her after her class to double check before leaving, one last time. The owners she had been told were expected tomorrow.

She finished her cold lemon water, collected her thoughts and the tablet with her testing checklist, jammed her walkie talkie into her back pocket and then got ready to go back down to the engine room. Back into the engine room, she carefully maneuvered herself into all of the tight spots she couldn't imagine a normal sized guy could even fit into. She checked pressure gauges, took readings and ran the engines again.

The crew above was talking to her through her walkie talkie and running the engines at her command, pumps, bilge, engines, -everything was checking out. Great! Just a few more minutes and they would be ready to pull the lines and run the intercoastal. She couldn't imagine the faces of the people on the jetty as they saw this boat running for the first time. It really was that beautiful.

Suddenly, she heard a short curse escape Chases' lips and she wondered what in the world happened a few decks above her. He normally never cursed. All of a sudden, his first mate told her in a very formal voice via her walkie talkie that they were shutting the engines down.

_Um, had she missed something big? Was something wrong? _Absolutely everything looked OK to her from below so she was totally unsure what the problem was. She quickly asked the guys in her most aggressive voice via the walkie talkie system what was happening –

Suddenly her walkie talkie surged to life and she heard **"Beni, just shut up please!"**

Bellowed from a distinctive voice she knew belonged to Chase. Chase had been her friend since the 3rd grade and as Beni really did not appreciate being told to shut up in front of the whole crew, she decided she would clamber out of the engine room and have this out face to face.

Before she got up to the main deck , she heard angry voices above her. She knew every crewman on this boat, had worked with most of them for more than 10 years. She also knew without a doubt that the voice she was hearing now did belong to any member of the Nemesis crew.

At first, she was scared, well, intimidated maybe. Coast Guard she wondered? _**Oh, this so better not be a drug money boat**_ Elizabeth thought to herself! Then she decided to listen more closely to the conversation before doing anything else.

"**Err, Mr. Darcy" **–she heard Chase stammer

" _I am so sorry about the mess up with the days. We understood from Jessica that you were all coming tomorrow afternoon and we definitely had no idea you had planned to have a meeting on the boat today." _

_**Oh crap**_, Elizabeth mused to herself...this Darcy guy must be FD Enterprises ...or at least work for them. _**Just totally Fabulous!**_ Apparently, the boss was here, the man she hoped to impress, and now he was pissed, and she was mainly to blame. The engines hadn't been thoroughly tested and no one wanted to run the risk of the pumps failing out in open water during a business meeting!

**I****n that single moment, Beni knew she was totally screwed...**


	2. Chapter 2: Ben the Fisherman

This Darcy guy might be the boss, but he was also drop dead gorgeous. As immune as Beni had gotten to men in her high school years of sailing, 4 years of undergrad engineering school and then 2 years for her masters with more geeks, this guy was, well, he was just WOW. Her brain had turned off and she knew she was in danger of turning into a mushy girl instead of a confident engineer who just happened to be female.

It figured...this boat had to be owned by a jerk who she could barely look at while trying to form coherent thoughts.

Karma was such a bummer today.

Unlike the rest of the crew, Beni was dressed pretty casually.

Ok, let's be a bit more honest...she looked down at herself and felt up to the fishing lures on her hat and realized she was dressed like a mess.

This was not the right way to make a first impression –and DAMN, she was so late for her class! She knew as an independent contractor, she could dress as she wanted and always did on the dock, but this was not the way to meet her biggest customer...purple sparkle Crocs?! What would he, could he, possibly think of her?

The crew of the Nemesis was wearing matching blue polo shirts, white pants and boat shoes. She realized she looked like a Venice hippie freak beach bum and that the owner of the boat "Mr. Darcy" had probably seen her fishing hat in the CCTV footage from the main cabin. He probably thought she was a joke.

Oy! Beni really needed this job to come off right. How in the world was she going to fix this?

Darcy's next words to Chase only further convinced her that she has messed this job up before she even had a chance to defend herself and she was probably about to get fired.

Darcy was yelling at Chase with a finger at his chest. "Listen, forget the mix-up, but you need to get your fishing buddy off my boat, or you are gone-today!"

"Fishing buddy?! What fishing buddy?" Chase quickly asked.

Darcy responded " I think you said his name was Beni when you were telling him to shut up. Hiding him in the Engine room was an asinine move since I saw him on the security camera...whatever his name is, the idiot with the silly fishing hat, currently in my engine room needs to be off this boat within 30 seconds or I may just replace the lot of you."

Chase quickly tried to set things right, but just managed to muddled everything further by trying to clarify.

"She's not..."

But he was quickly interrupted by Darcy who replied angrily "Chase, I hired you on the recommendation of associates in LA, they warned me that you were young. But you are damn straight that she, the Nemesis is not your boat. She is 100% mine and I could frankly care less what you think your position is here. You need to understand that you cannot invite your friends on board even if you think I'm not coming until tomorrow. She is not a fishing boat for you and your buddies to use on your days off. So get your buddy "Beni" off my boat, then tell the crew to get a nice meal prepared –a party of 3 will join us shortly and your ability to keep our job beyond the end of the day today depends on it."

Darcy walked into the master stateroom –annoyed at the audacity of his Captain, Chase for thinking his boat, the Nemesis was his to use as he pleased, and for letting his fishing buddy on board and into the engine room at that! Hadn't they just had the latest green engine installed on board? He was also annoyed that his assistant had apparently totally mucked up his plans for the day. He was even more annoyed that his room smelled like lavender.

He looked around trying to figure out where the scent came from. He loved lavender as it reminded him of his mother and eventually helped him take a few deep breaths and calm down, but why could he smell faint traces of it everywhere? What boat ever smelled like lavender? Unsure why he was suddenly feeling unsure of himself, he thought he would unwind on the foredeck before his meeting.

On the steps between his stateroom and the deck, he was suddenly met by a pair of the most beautiful eyes he had ever seen. Walking the private doc near his boat was a woman with green eyes and beautiful curly brown hair that fell past her waist. She was dressed like a teenager, but something about her gait, told him she was probably in her mid 20's.

What in the world was this hippie love child with sparkly purple shoes doing on this part of the dock? His dock! There were only about 15 boats down here and he hadn't noticed that any of them had activity as he had come down to his a few minutes ago from the limo. You couldn't get out here without a key card and the code.

He quickly scanned around and looked to see if any other boats had activity. He was surprised when he noticed a few had crews working. Darcy quickly realized she must be the girlfriend of a crew member. After she made eye contact with him and giving him a rather unhappy stare in return, she slipped her shades back down her face and put in her ear buds.

They must not have been connected to her iPod as a loud piece of Bach quickly filled the silence all around them. She laughed in response as he suddenly found himself asking her if she normally listened to such serious music while walking on the water.

Plugging her headphones back in, she yelled "always" and ran up the gangplank on her way off the dock.

He noticed she hopped on a bicycle with a paddle board on the back and quickly road down the alley.

Darcy was thinking to himself that it must be nice to be able to be so carefree.

Meanwhile, Elizabeth was thinking to herself what a total prick she worked for, that she was late for the paddle yoga class she was teaching to her UCLA undergrads and that Darcy Fancypants clearly didn't deserve the boat she had just finished customizing for him. She was also worried that Chase might have just lost his job because of her stupid fishing hat.

Rounding the corner to dump her bike at the jetty and grab her board, she promised herself she would fix things and make it right.

While Darcy was relaxing on the deck waiting for his meeting to begin, he noticed a small group of paddle boarders out in the water. That was something he had never tried, but seemed a little boring for him as he watched. Jet skiing was something he loved –although admittedly he didn't do enough of it. He wondered what drew people to try paddle boarding –such slow movement through the water and so much effort with what he could only imagine was little gain.

What he saw next almost took his breath away. Beautiful curly brown hair, blowing in the sea breeze-a lithe body in yoga pants and a tank top, and a smile that light her eyes clear across the water and straight at him. She held his gaze for just a moment and seemed to somehow know he was staring at her. He could not believe it, it was the women he had just seen on his doc. She was dressed differently and the purple Crocs were nowhere to be seen, but he knew it was her.

She was wrapping her loose hair in a bun and looked to be talking to the small group assembled. Just as suddenly, he looked like she was about to dive into the water from her board, but instead, she inverted herself into a handstand on her paddleboard. Yoga on a paddleboard? _**What was she thinking?**_

Darcy had been dragged to a few yoga classes by the younger sister of his friend Charles while he lived in New York, so he knew the poses, but couldn't imagine trying them off of dry land or even off a studio floor and he had certainly never been able to do what he now watched. He hated yoga and the deep breathing and the meditative state, but he found that he could not stop himself from watching her.

Her poses seemed absolutely effortless to him. He just barely made out the familiar UCLA logo on some of the t-shirts the group of onlookers were wearing and her mystery suddenly made sense. She must be a private yoga teacher-with a student somewhere on his private dock and she must also teach a class or two via a UCLA extension. She was probably one of those hippie crunchy granola freaks from Venice, living in a dive apartment with a few roommates and who would eat only vegan or raw food. Pity he thought.

Still, he was mesmerized as he watched her and could not look away. She moved from one pose to the next with effortless grace, not even causing the water around her board to ripple. She remained with a beautiful smile on her lips, an easy laugh and a gentle hand up when one of her students wobbled or fell off into the cool water for over an hour.

Listening carefully, he also heard the faint strains of his favorite piece of Bach reaching him from her iPod across the distance between them. Suddenly he looked around and he noticed his entire boat crew had stopped working below deck and 7 men were all busy with tasks above the water line, each one of them was watching her teach her class. They all had silly smiles on their faces as well.

The realization that the little green eyed imp probably knew his boat crew _really_ well struck him with force. All of a sudden, he didn't want to think about what else might have happened on his boat before he had come back to LA. Captain Chases' stupid fisherman friend that he had caught in the engine room when he first came aboard was now the least of his worries.

Charles and his sister were about to come on board and Darcy was determined to start this meeting off well. Charles and his family were making a donation of a large collection to the Getty museum tomorrow and Darcy wanted to discuss the final legalities of everything with them first. Darcy was the very young CEO of a 242 year old Swiss bank that had been founded by his great, great grandfather. Charles's money was "newer" and had been made in the last 100 years, but as his friend since 6th grade boarding school, Darcy wanted to make sure his friend got the maximum benefit of a 100 million dollar perpetual trust to the world renown museum.

To celebrate the new Charles and Caroline Bingley Trust, the Getty was holding a banquet in their honor tomorrow night. Sadly, that meant Darcy would have to see Charles' sister Caroline more than one time this trip-and even escort her to the party tomorrow night. Still, he knew his friend had put up with much worse for him over the years so it was the least he could do.

To say the girl (Caroline) annoyed him would be an understatement.

Charles had told him he had been brave and asked the assistant curator at the Getty as his date for the night and she had agreed. Charles had also told him that his date was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, but since he had said that a lot in the days since they went to boarding school together in England, Darcy wasn't giving that much thought and he realized he wasn't even jealous.

Women had not been high on his priority list as of late. His younger sister Georgiana he thought of often, but women could be and were found in every city. Almost too easily because he had money.

He did suddenly and surprisingly find himself thinking about a warm pair of green eyes and an amazing tan little body on a paddle board- then came the memory of her quick laughter when he had spoken to her on the dock.

That free laughter was not something he had heard in a long time. He was honest enough to admit that he missed the sound of happy laughter.

There had been no flirtation or contrivance in her enjoyment of their brief exchange. He suddenly could see no harm in letting himself quickly daydream of things that would never be.


	3. Chapter 3: Hippie Yogis

1. Thanks for all of the reads and comments! Your response has been overwhelming to say the least!

2. Please review, comment, insult, laugh, tease...whatever, I'm just happy to hear from you.

3. Please note this is my first attempt **ever** at writing fiction. If it is terrible, I apologize in advance and I am sorry you felt forced to read it

4. I do intend to update at least weekly and finish this (bucket list item), so while it is a work in progress, don't give up as I never give up and plan to finish it in true P&P style.

5. I do have most of the outline done, but things can still be changed...if you hate something, or make a strong argument, I can be persuaded.

6. I realized I uploaded an unedited version of Chapter 1 and 2, so I went back and fixed that. Will try to be more careful next time. I hate typos when I read also.

7. I'm think I'm done with my soapbox, so enjoy!

**Chapter 3: Power to the Hippie Yogis**

"You have to be kidding me Charles!" –seethed Darcy. "You want me to ask the hippie yoga paddle board teacher to dance with me?" "The woman has probably slept with the entire crew of the _Nemesis_!" "Absolutely not, it would be an insult to me and my family and is entirely inappropriate!"

"What?!" "Wait!" "Darce, what in the world are you talking about?!" I want you to ask Jane's younger sister to dance. The one over there, standing with Jane. The beautiful engineer named Elizabeth with the gorgeous legs and long curly hair I know you love, that you've spent half the night staring at!"

"Don't even try to tell me you haven't noticed her!"

"Even Caroline noticed you noticing her, and she is totally oblivious when it comes to you and other women!"

"Charles, wait, did you just say she's an Engineer?"

"Yes!" "Darcy, weren't you listening at all tonight?" "Jane told you that her sister has her undergrad and grad degrees from UCLA in Engineering and Marine Biology before you got here and you said it would be nice to speak with her as you have the new boat docked Marina Del Ray"..."and then Jane agreed with you..."

"Come on Darcy; is any of this sounding at all familiar?"

Darcy thought for a moment and said "No, it would still just be embarrassing for me. I am pretty sure she knows the entire crew of my boat, really, really well...if you get my meaning Charles. "

"Oh, and Charles" he added as he walked back to Caroline, almost as an afterthought... "I hope her sister Jane has better morals than her younger sister seems to, for your sake of course."

Charles thought Darcy could and was acting like a pompous idiot, but he would never tell his friend that to his face, so he happily went back to his smiling date instead. He would leave Darcy to suffer through the evening with his sister –realizing that a night with Caroline for company might just teach Darcy a much needed lesson in humility, that thought suddenly perked him up considerably.


	4. Chapter 4: Useful Waiters

**Chapter 4: Useful Waiters**

While the Darcy and Charles had spoken in hushed voices, they hadn't noticed that a tall, lanky and very tan waiter with a disposable name tag that read "Dave" had been carrying champagne on a tray right behind them. They also hadn't noticed that Dave had stopped short when he heard mention of Jane and Elizabeth and listened to their entire conversation. Dave had to stop and eavesdrop as he could not believe what he was overhearing. Beni (Elizabeth Bennet) and Jane were his old friends. In fact, he was only working this party as a personal favor to Beni since he regularly crewed on a boat right near the _Nemesis _and Beni had told him that Jane was short staffed tonight and needed emergency help-and would pay him well.

What this jerk had against Beni he could not be sure...but at the same time, he couldn't wait to tell her the snobby European thought she was a Venice dock bum that had hooked up with the entire crew of the Nemesis. While shocking, if he knew Beni, she would laugh it off and see the ridiculousness of it all before anyone else. Part of what he loved about her was her ability to be silly about almost everything.

Dave wondered what in the world Beni could have done to give the guy the impression she was flaky or easy, but then he realized that if he has seen her today giving a yoga class on the water and watched her like all of his crew friends did, he probably just assumed that the gorgeous engineer was all about her looks and sharing her body with her students.

While Dave also knew he could never tell Beni how he really felt about her, her openness and her ability to connect with people was part of her charm. Any of his friends at the dock would have been happy to make their relationships with Beni into something more-a lot more, but it was a sort of unspoken rule...she was just too sweet, too good and well, too perfect for any of them. She was hot, there was no denying it, but she was so much more than that. They all knew Beni would go a lot farther than running a small engineering firm in Marina Del Ray. He knew he could dream about her much better than any real relationship he could ever have with her would be. He was Ok to leave it at that, but he did still love to make her laugh.

Finished serving all of the champagne on his tray, Dave realized now that it was time to make Beni laugh. Based on the faces (well, they were more like death stares he saw Beni making at the jerk), now seemed like a good time to tell her to come to the catering kitchen and hear the story he had to tell of everything he had overheard.


	5. Chapter 5: 50 Shades of Pink

**Chapter 5: 50 Shades of Pink**

Elizabeth (Beni) did not know what to think. After blushing all shades of pink and then crimson, the story her friend Dave was telling to her in the catering kitchen about what he had overheard between Charles and Darcy seemed almost impossible.

Why exactly did Darcy think she was a skanky hippie freak? Didn't he know she was the engineer from his boat? Where on earth would he have gotten the idea she had slept with any of the guys on his crew? She knew she wasn't beautiful like Jane, but she thought the guys she worked with respected her, even if they weren't attracted to her. Had someone insinuated something unprofessional about her to him? If so, who and why?

Tonight, she had dressed with so much care. As the event was arranged by Jane, who was both the organizer and the date of the major donor, Charles Bingley- so it became important to Elizabeth too...she and Jane were sisters, but they were also best friends.

_Too bad!_ Elizabeth thought to herself about not having known that Charles' best friend was apparently the owner of the boat she dreamed about and made plans over and worked on for the last 4 months.

Actually, seeing as how she had royally messed up everything today, maybe it was all for the best?

Charles seemed like a really decent guy and for the first time, in a really long time, Elizabeth had watched Jane throw herself into getting to know someone new. Elizabeth silently wished that whatever she had done to make Darcy despise her, had not also ruined her sister's happiness as well.

She had not only borrowed a Valentino gown –worn by _ to the Emmy's a few years back (that fit her like a glove), but also vintage Ben-Amun jewelry, Jimmy Choo shoes and a matching Valentino clutch. Her normally curly hair was sleek and tame, her dress wasn't that low cut and she hadn't even danced with anyone all night! Well, if you don't count dancing with Jane's own date, Darcy's friend...Charles Bingley. Would that even really count? Did she really still appear like a hippie slut to him even now?

This day having gone from bad to worse, she knew she had messed up his meeting, not run the final check on the _Nemesis_ engines, almost gotten Chase fired and now Darcy also thought she was so bad, she wasn't even worth dancing with?

How exactly would she even begin to try to make this right?


	6. Chapter 6: Dark Gardens

**Chapter 6. Dark Gardens **

Elizabeth knew only one thing for sure, that she needed to get some fresh air to try to figure this out, analyze what had happened and fix it all -**FAST**!

Unfortunately, her normal go-to method for calming down was yoga. But as she had on 4 inch heels and a killer dress so that was probably a bad idea. Thinking about it again, she was pretty sure she could find a spot in the darkened part of the gardens that no one was likely to be using for 10 minutes...

After casually laughing things off with Dave and his friends in the catering kitchen, she knew she was too upset to just let it go. He had attacked her character and the very essence of her personality. Still, she knew she needed to calm down, make a plan and get to work on her salvage operation. So she quickly she slipped out one of the back doors. She proceeded to make her way in the semi-darkness down one of the garden paths she knew well from having lunches here with Jane.

After discarding her shoes and her dress in a heap, she was left wearing a silky black chemise and her bare feet. She felt the wet grass under her and got quickly into her first pose. Then, she let the familiar movement and deep breathing sooth her. Once she started to relax, she began to talk to herself like a mantra to find her focus.

"_**Elizabeth Bennet, you have two degrees from a great school. **_

_**You graduated at the top of your class. **_

_**You own your own engineering firm. **_

_**You are a good person and you help people in need. **_

_**You care about the ocean and the earth around you.**_

_**This Darcy guy does not know the real you-at ALL!**_

_**Remember that he never met you until today.**_

_**You have never slept around as you haven't yet slept with anyone.**_

_**The joke is on him as you are probably the world's oldest virgin. **_

_**You are saving yourself for the right guy-the one you intend to marry. This is a good thing. **_

_**You don't tease. You don't lead guys on and you barely even flirt. **_

_**Darcy **__**will**__** let you back on the Nemesis to finish your work tomorrow and then you will be out of his way forever. **_

_**You will **__**absolutely **__**never have to see him again after tomorrow."**_

Deep breath...the sun in her mind was starting to come out. She realized she had a plan and she knew exactly who she was. Darcy, no matter how powerful or rich he was could not take any of that that away from her.

As Elizabeth started to come down from her last pose, and relax, she saw movement from the side. She opened her eyes further and saw Darcy standing and watching her from the shadows. In an instant, she had lost her balance completely and toppled over, muttering a loud curse as she went. So much for her hard won peace of mind.

She felt strong arms on hers –gentle, but strong, lifting her up.

Before she got overwhelmed, and before she lost her nerve, she decided to ask him how much of her pity party he had heard.

"All of it" he firmly told her as he gazed into her stunned green eyes.

After a slight gasp, that sounded like "Oh" she immediately looked away...down...anywhere she could, but back into his penetrating stare.

He put his hand gently under her chin and lifted her gaze back up to his. "Don't be sorry Elizabeth; I clearly owe _**you**_ a huge apology."

Elizabeth was so overwhelmed by his admission, his nearness, his scent and his thoughtful brown eyes that she turned on her heel, ran to pick up her shoes and dress and then disappeared just as quickly into a darker part of the garden.


	7. Chapter 7: Seriously?

**Chapter 7. Seriously?**

Darcy sat for a moment in the darkened garden and tried to figure out what had just happened. He came across a green eyed imp doing yoga while wearing a sexy as hell chemise in a forgotten part of the darkened Getty garden in the middle of a huge donor party. The whole time she was talking to herself like a maniac. She was a paddle board yoga instructor. She was also apparently a serious engineer. She had gorgeous green eyes, a beautiful smile, a perfect body and was clearly driving him crazy. 24 hours ago, he didn't even know she existed, yet now, he was honest enough to admit that he could think about little else.

He realized his heart was racing from their recent encounter and he tried to calm it and dismiss her from his thoughts. _IMPOSSIBLE this girl is going to do this to me! _he raged at himself_. _

Once he was calm, he was clear enough to understand that he didn't know exactly what to make of her. What was it about this woman that was calling him so hard? Why did she have such a strong this effect on him? Without letting anyone know, he was determined to learn more about her.

_A __**virgin**_? _**Seriously**_?!

He must not have heard that part correctly as he knew for certain that girls her age, with bodies and faces like that didn't wait very long for boyfriends. _And what exactly was it that she needed to do on his boat? _

He probably had a little too much to drink tonight (he spent the first part of the night stuck with Caroline...who could blame him!), or maybe he had been daydreaming while she was talking to herself? _Was she really a member of his Nemesis crew_? _Why hadn't she been on the boat today then?_

It was enough to ponder for one night, but he was fairly certain he was going to be seeing a lot more of Elizabeth Bennet in the days to come. He couldn't decide if that was a good thing or not. Clearly, she was nothing like what he had originally assumed her to be. But, if he was honest with himself, the most perplexing part of everything that had happened with her today-was why in the world did he suddenly care so much?


	8. Chapter 8: YES

**Clearly, some groveling is in order as no one is leaving me reviews or comments...or any indication of anything. Lots of reads and visitors etc, but no reviews. Please, drop me a line and say something...or anything. Hard to know how I am doing with this if you don't comment or respond. **

**I hope to be finished with the complete story (30ish chapters) by the end of the month. I don't know if I'll keep posting at the pace I was posting in the last 24 hours, but I'll certainly try. If you leave a review, I promise to try even harder at updating regularly. :)  
**

**Have fun!**

**MMIL**

**Chapter 8: YES.**

Elizabeth quickly got redressed; put her shoes back on and tried to find a way to leave the party as fast as she could. She had come with the wait staff, so she was convinced she was going to have to hang out outside the kitchens most of the night. Lucky for her, one of the waitresses wasn't feeling well and wanted to leave early. She sent a text to Jane telling her she was sorry she couldn't stay the whole night and that they would talk later, grabbed her coat and left almost too happily.

She knew she needed some sleep and then a plan.

As they drove down the dark and winding road back towards the freeway and into LA, she realized she didn't know if she had made things better or worse tonight with Darcy. He had tried to apologize, but for exactly what she wasn't totally sure. Then she had gotten cold feet from the confrontation/situation and just run away.

_**Why was she such a coward around most men?**_

Elizabeth imagined that Darcy probably still thought she was a loony, yoga posing exhibitionist that liked to hang out in the garden while 200 of LA's elite partied inside. ...thinking about the events of the night as her friend drove...she wondered if someone could please just find a rock for her to crawl under-as fast as possible!

Suddenly, a new worry struck her...how would she ever face Chase and the rest of the crew tomorrow? If she had tried, she didn't see how she could have possibly made it any worse for herself.

**OOF!**

So much for making a plan and fixing things. Take 2 would have to come tomorrow, but for now she needed sleep.

5 minutes from her house and the warmth of her bed, her phone suddenly buzzed with a new text message. It was Darcy.

How did he even have her number?

**Elizabeth,**

**Got # frm Jane. Sry 4 intrusion, we have 2 meet. Meet me? _Nemesis_ 2PM tmr?**

**F. Darcy**

Her thoughts at that moment were something along the lines of_: Oh, so he was going to fire her at 2PM? Fabulous...so I have 5, maybe 6 hours to salvage Beni Engineering from ruin and land another contract before this one was over and everyone around the Marina knows I am a total failure? _

Still, she realized she couldn't really say no, as he was technically her employer. Well, he was at least until tomorrow at 2PM.

She really wanted to text him back and just write:

**Yes, please fire me by text message. Yes, I'm the crazy woman who did yoga in her underwear in the Getty gardens tonight while you watched. Yes, I was dressed like an idiot fisherman on your boat today in the engine room. Yes, no one wanted to dance with me tonight but my own sisters' date-and that was clearly out of pity. Yes, you are about to destroy my career and everything I have worked for over the past 6 years...but I'll happily see you at 2 so you can fire me in person.**

Instead, she just sent this:

**Yes. **

She put her phone in her bag, thanked her friend for the ride, dragged herself up the steps to her condo in Santa Monica, let herself in to the darkened house and quickly cried herself to sleep.


	9. Chapter 9: Dreams

Thanks so much for the reviews!

I am thinking this may be the first fanfic written from a bomb shelter...things are a little heated over here at the moment and as school is cancelled, my kids are home, so I may not finish as fast as I thought, so I thank you kindly in advance for your patience!

I will try to address the issue/writing/plot/themes comments and suggestions everyone has been sending in future I go back and fix/change/update previous chapters, I will let you know. All comments are much appreciated!

Apologies in advance if the "war situation" creeps into the writing, hard to ignore and shut off the brain overload from running into a bomb shelter with little kids and air raid sirens!

**Chapter 9: Dreams**

Elizabeth woke early, as always, she loved the morning. This one maybe not as much as others, but the endless possibilities of the day were before her and feeling refreshed and revived from her sleep, she was ready to take action. All she needed now was time on or near the water to collect her thoughts and make a new plan.

She grabbed her phone, her skates and a bottle of water, then hurried out the door. Living with Jane in Santa Monica and not in her parents' house in Venice was one of the things she was most proud of. Still, nothing could beat the Venice boardwalk on an early Saturday morning for a skate. Without thinking, she found herself whipping through the still dark streets on her way to the boardwalk.

On the boardwalk, she found a pace and started her skate. Arms swinging behind her, every block she passed had a funny or endearing childhood memory or two. As she regressed into her very bohemian, one might even say hippie upbringing, she thought about what Darcy had said to Charles about her. Maybe Jane had told Charles more about their family than either of them normally gave away? She and Jane had until now enjoyed a sort of secret sister pact. Whatever happened in Venice, stayed in Venice!

She and her sister had both worked hard to do well in school, go to college and take themselves seriously. They had stayed away from the free loving, flaky tendencies of their family and their youth. Their dad was an engineer, but somehow it seemed like he was wired differently. Having done his PhD in Berkeley in the late 60's apparently turned him into the crunchy granola hippie anarchist anticapitalist that would never change. It was also exactly what Darcy had apparently been so angry about the night before.

Still, Elizabeth mused, her parents and younger sisters weren't bad, per say - they were just very free spirits in a world where Elizabeth would rather have more rules and control.

Looking at her phone, she saw it was still only a little past 6 in the morning, and so she was somewhat relieved that she was excused from dropping by her parents' house today. They had probably gone to a free love convert or a save the local Venice canal snail meeting last night and wouldn't likely be awake until she was halfway through her day. She could say she stopped by and the house was dark, so didn't want to wake them and had left. That would give her a pass for at least a week. In the meantime, she was going to take advantage of being a local –and get her favorite wheat grass smoothie at the impossible to find smoothie shack the locals all loved but the tourists could never find. Here was yet another reminder that there were certain benefits to being a Bennet girl!

Smoothie in hand, Elizabeth sat down on one of the benches along the boardwalk. She hated skated all the way South until the end of the boardwalk and then reversed and come back North towards Santa Monica again. Almost 20 miles had done much to revive her spirits and recover her sense of self. She knew this could be a great day if she made it that way.

For a moment, she closed her eyes and let the rising sun warm her face. Letting the vitamin D do its work, she started to make a plan:

1) Call Chase and find out everything she could about Darcy. Also, figure out with Chase exactly what had transpired as far as she was concerned on the boat yesterday.

2) Review the contract she had made with the FD Enterprises agent and find out what the financial repercussions would be if they cancelled the contract w/out cause. Would they still pay her?

3) Find normal clothes to wear for getting fired today! (Apparently, she had to figure out how not to look like a flaky hippie slut!)

4) Call Jane and apologize.

5) Get to the Nemesis within the hour, run the final tests on the engines and be out of there before Darcy had a chance to finish his fancy hotel breakfast and make it down to the dock for their meeting. (This would definitely mean having clothes with her that she could change into since clothes to get fired in were not clothes to huddle in the engine room in)

In her mind, the plan was flawless. She saw it was already 6:20, so she quickly finished her breakfast, and skated towards her house. She figured she could be on the boat by 7 and gone by 9. Not one of the crew and esp. Darcy would even know she had been there this morning. The crew normally showed up around 9:30 and she was certain that a man like Darcy wouldn't dream of arriving before his crew.

**_7:05AM_** a showered and changed Elizabeth swiped her access card through the dock card reader and punched in her key code. The lock released and the card reader turned green. The system told her she was the first entry for _Nemesis_ for the day. Her plan was so far a 100% success. She knew Chase like to sleep late, so she would call him in about an hour when he had likely already had his first coffee and would therefore be coherent. Feeling better already, she and her sparkly purple Crocs quickly made their way down the gangplank and towards the end of the private dock where the _Nemesis_ floated, ready and primed for open water.

**_7:10AM_** Elizabeth unlocked the back deck using the key and code Chase had given her when she first started the engine project. Not paying attention to much else around her and expecting the boat to be totally quiet, she grabbed her customary bottle of sparkling Pellegrino from the well stocked kitchen fridge and made her way down two decks and into the engine room.

**_7:10AM_** Darcy was having the craziest dream. He knew he was somewhere between wakefulness and sleep, but after the champagne and the somewhat strange events of last night, he was happy for a few more minutes of warmth in his king sized bed. In his dreamlike state, he suddenly, he caught the scent of lavender and had visions of his mother, before she got sick, when he was just a little boy. Now he knew for sure he was dreaming.

**_7:11 AM_** Darcy was unhappily jolted out of his dream by the silent alarm going off in his stateroom. He groggily looked at the CCTV feed on the security system screen and was dumbfounded as to why someone had triggered the motion alarm in the engine room. What in the world was so great about his engine room?! This was the second time in less than a day that someone who should not have been there, was in fact down there! The safe and most of the valuables were up here on the main decks-any decent thief knew that only too well!

Angry, as he had specifically told the Chase to keep the crew off the boat this morning until at least 9:30, he didn't know how to proceed. He had decided to sleep on the boat for a few nights and determine if it was suitable for him and he would in fact keep it. He hated hotels, hated the pretense and actually enjoyed just being on his own. He had bought the boat on spec and had it delivered to Marina Del Ray since he knew Bingley was likely to be here for some time and he had a few business deals he needed to complete on the West Coast as well. After that, and if he liked it, he planned to move the boat into the Mediterranean near his summer home. Glancing again at the CCTV feed as he went to look for his phone to call the harbor patrol, he suddenly noticed that stupid fisherman hat he had seen yesterday and a pair of what looked like sparkly purple Crocs underneath.

_**What the hell?! **_The implications of everything he had just seen were almost too much for him. He was just about to storm out of his room towards the engine room and confront the "situation" when he realized that he didn't actually know how to get down to the engine room from his stateroom, he wasn't wearing anything and perhaps most importantly, he didn't have a clue what on earth he would say when and if he confronted his new favorite green eyed imp.

To be continued...


	10. Chapter 10 : Secrets in the Stateroom

Apparently, I have to resort again to begging for more reviews. SAY ANYTHING...but please just say something...

To the anon reviewer that can't respect a girl that wears Crocs...this girl/woman is a boat engineer. Engine rooms are great places to cut your feet and lose toes. Crocs were originally (and still are) amazing boat shoes-they have good grips, help you stay on deck and protect your feet. Flip flops are OK and I agree are her shoe of choice normally when not on the dock, but when on the doc and working below the water line, I don't see them as practical enough not to make the story seem fake. Please forgive me...I just can't do it.

Hopefully, you'll still fall in love with her and her appalling lack of fashion sense at work. She did have Jimmy Choos when she was at the Getty...and they are purple sparkle variety...not your everyday purple, but the **really** special ones.

* * *

**Chapter 9: Dreams**

As Darcy stood in his stateroom, completely naked and suddenly getting cold (who knew LA was this cold in the early morning ?) having jumped out of bed to deal with the suspected intruder situation, he realized he was caught emotionally totally off guard.

In less than 24 hours, a somewhat short , but very well proportioned green eyed imp dressed like a hippie, who gave yoga lessons on a paddle board in the Marina, was now apparently the innovative engineer he had hired to do radical green engine upgrades on his new boat. She also had him thinking twice about his decision to stay away from American women. As if that isn't enough, she was also the little sister of his best friends' date last night. Darcy was honest enough to admit to himself that he was strangely drawn to her easy going manner, unique lifestyle choices and bohemian casual dress. Maybe it was the air in LA-as Darcy knew this would never happen in Switzerland!

48 hours ago, if you would have told him he would be giving a second of thought to a woman who wore those horrendous plastic shoes, or who had worn a fishing hat on her head out in public, Darcy would have called that person out. Now, he had to admit to himself that while the whole thing was beyond preposterous, she _**had **_somehow gotten under his skin.

Reflecting for a moment –he thought perversely what entertainment it would be if only his last girlfriend could see him now. She had called him cold and heartless while constantly attacking him for his lack of conversation, fun, and personality. While to Darcy she had just been arm candy, he could relent and agree that with her, he had been all of those things. Now he wondered if he could be something different in a relationship with a different kind of woman. Not that he was actually considering a relationship with the green eyed imp, but it was still something to think about.

He knew he needed to get married, was expected to get married-eventually. His father had told him often enough that in business, people took you more seriously for having a woman draped over your shoulder, as if to attest that your business acumen was truly honed if you could attract and keep a beautiful wife. His parent's marriage had uniquely been one filled with love. If only his mother hadn't died so young. If only his father had not been left a grieving widow with a baby daughter and teenage son. If only he hadn't been left to raise his sister on her own after the untimely death of his parent. Things might have been different and his perspective on women might be radically different, but he knew how women played the game and he had chosen not to participate as of late. Funny, he realized as Elizabeth didn't even seem to know there was a game to be played. Could she really be as low key and down to earth as she seemed?

Pushing all of those thoughts aside, what was he going to do about this woman he could not stop thinking about? How preposterous was it that he knew almost nothing about her and their entire conversational history to date had consisted of a one word answer from her and an apology from him that she had run away from-while almost naked and barefoot no less.

Thinking further, how far under his skin she had crawled he was not yet sure, and maybe he still didn't want to know. He knew that he owed it to himself to find out more about her and assuage this new mini-obsession. Darcy was tenacious about everything in life, and he knew would be just a fierce about this as. Grabbing some pajama pants would probably be a good way to get started towards a plan and avoid pneumonia. Did this boat not have any bloody heat?

After quietly getting dressed to avoid alerting her to his presence and having her run away again, Darcy reasoned through all of the possible confrontation scenarios and decided that confronting her at this stage would probably be a bad idea. She had seemed skittish around him last night at the Getty and he wanted to get to know her without raising her "guy alarm". He knew that the best way to stay under the radar of interest was the non-confrontation approach. From his limited experience with American women, he was pretty sure they liked relationships that way anyway.

Now he just had to figure out how he could stay here, hidden until she would leave the boat before their meeting and without realizing he was watching her-or even that he was on board. After a moment of thinking, he realized this was almost too easy. He did have his phone and she technically worked for him. He just needed to create some diversions and take the situation back under his control.

A few quick calls to Chase, Charles, his boat manager and a text to Jane and he was almost certain she would be off the boat within 10 minutes. Then he could put his plan into place. The one thing he had not counted on was the fact that Elizabeth didn't always play by the rules.

* * *

Unbeknownst to anyone else, she had kept the fact that she loved the master stateroom on the Nemesis and had spent considerable amounts of time there. She often changed out of her engine room clothes in the master bathroom and had spent a few lazy afternoons reading in the small suite connected to the bedroom with the beautifully appointed private deck that overlooked the rear of the boat. Not that she had time to read today, but she had fully intended to change on the boat before her 2PM meeting.

When she got the call from a very concerned Chase asking her to go and check something in the dock slip office about the engine emission policies and telling her that Darcy had not wanted anyone of the boat this morning, she was curious, but quickly re-planned her day. She tried to speak more to Chase, but he cut her off and with a strangled sounding tone, appeared unwilling to say more to her. He then quickly hung up. Hhhmm, something was going on, Elizabeth guessed that she and Chase would have it out later, but since he had called as the Captain, it seemed that at the very least, he still had his job!

She would quickly change into the clothes she had brought, stop by her small office at the Marina and catch up on emails before her meeting at 2. If the meeting didn't go well, she would hand off the project to another engineer she thought could understand her designs and implementation and would walk away disappointed, but not destroyed. She knew the guy she wanted to pass the project onto would not gut or try to deconstruct her carefully crafted redesign. Her pride wouldn't be intact, but her design would be and maybe that was all that mattered to get her future jobs anyway.

Elizabeth slipped out of tiny cubby space section of the engine room she had been working in, stretched her legs, took a few long, deep breaths and then went to find her bag. She knew this would probably be her last time in the master stateroom and wanted to savor every minute on that private deck before she was forced to leave for the last time.

* * *

Elizabeth could have no idea what this visit would really entail. Darcy had watched her get the call from Chase, stretch and relax and make her way towards the top decks from here he assumed she would leave. Holding his breath, he was frozen in place when she appeared to be headed towards the Master Stateroom instead. Looking around quickly. The bed was unmade and his suitcase was still on the floor. Quickly and quietly, he fixed the bed cover, grabbed his case and shoved his belongings into a large closet. As he heard the doorknob turn, he found himself climbing inside.

This was utter madness-why exactly was he now hiding in the closet of his own room?

As Elizabeth walked quickly passed the closet he in, he was about to open the door when he smelled her lavender perfume. What exactly stopped him, he was unsure, but he suddenly decided to just let this play out however it would.

He watched he look carefully around the room and take a few deep breaths, as if trying to soak up the space with her rhythmic breathing. She walked into the master bath, leaving the door slightly ajar; Darcy realized he could still see her through the slats in the closet door. While not a prude, he felt it wasn't right to watch what she hadn't freely given him to see. He turned his head to give her privacy. He looked back to see a panty clad Elizabeth unwinding her hair from her bun after removing the ridiculous fishing hat. He stopped breathing.

She sprayed her hair with what looked like mist and her curls sprang back to life. The green eyed imp was now a green eyed beauty and his hiding in the closet of his own room watching her like a freak–while the only solution was getting more uncomfortable by the minute. She quickly got dressed. In fact, she got ready faster than any woman he had ever known would get ready and made her way straight to his reading deck. She had on utilitarian black slacks and a pretty blouse. She could have been wearing a burlap sack and he realized it would not diminish her beauty.

Elizabeth seemed to be talking to herself again...Darcy realized he had to stop daydreaming and listening if he was going to gain insights towards his little infatuation. _Infatuation, was he actually infatuated already?_ Yes, he admitted to himself, he definitely was. What he could not decide on was whether or not he liked her secret use of his stateroom -but he did like her boldness.

Staring at the water where she could see a reflection of herself, he heard her say to no one in particular:

_"Beni, get it together! You will not cower, you will not show him you are affected by his firing you, you will not be embarrassed or blush about him seeing you nearly naked last night at the Getty! You will not cry and he will not destroy you or Beni Engineering. You will convince him that the engine makes sense, that he should let you finish the testing. If he doesn't agree, you have a good plan B and you'll still get what you want. Any way you look at it, you win today. So hold your head high, and don't let him see how much he intimidates you or how HOT you think he is. Just keep breathing, and look him in the eye...you can totally do this!"_

Before he could make his hiding place known, Elizabeth was walking quickly towards his closet. He was certain he was about to be discovered as a ridiculous Peeping Tom. Instead, he saw the glint of green fire in her eyes and the hint of a self satisfied smile as she silently passed his hiding place, strode confidently towards the main door, took one more backwards glance around the room. As she left, she said _"Thank you Mr. Darcy, you don't know it, but the pleasure has been all mine."_

After a few minutes, when only the smell of her perfume lingered, Darcy let himself out of the closet. He saw from the alarm status that she had left the boat and the dock.

Pulling his hands through his dark wavy hair, he sat down on the bed in utter frustration. He clearly needed a plan B. The little imp was obviously nothing like he has assumed.

* * *

Have thoughts on what you think Plan B should be? More details about the BIG meeting at 2?

I'm open to ideas/dreams and suggestions.

Have a great weekend!

Lady M


	11. Chapter 11: Whatever Floats Your Boat

**Thanks for all of the feedback!**

**Hopefully you see more of the playful E in this chapter. Owning your own company and exercising every day doesn't mean you aren't easy-going. She teaches (and practices) yoga on a paddleboard, wears an old fisherman's hat and sparkly purple crocs while working! Still, I hope this is more of what you wanted to see (and who she is to me anyway). I'll re-read the first chapters and consider if I need to add more playfulness into her so it shines through more clearly. **

**This is going to be a long day...much must happen in the story before 2PM so I hope you'll stay along for the ride. **

**Chase Lucas is...Charlotte Lucas in my version- in case that wasn't clear before. I love their friendship and well, hope you'll like the way I tell the story in my own way. **

**Lots of rockets still falling and plenty of time in the bomb shelter, so I hope I am on track to finish by the end of the month. Thanks for sticking with me!**

**Sincere thanks to L.S. and J.K. for last minute grammar decisions and reviews at 2AM!  
**

**Cheers, **

**M**

* * *

**Chapter 11: Whatever Floats Your Boat...**

Looking at her watch, Elizabeth realized she had time to go for a short sail before her dreaded 2PM meeting. It would hopefully also give her a chance to catch up with Chase's family, the Lucas clan who she adored and who had been like surrogate parents in many ways when her mother was ridiculous as she often was. If her own younger sisters dragged themselves out of bed on time, she might just be able to catch them at the boathouse too.

Elizabeth's father loved the water, and as such, determined from early in her youth that all of his daughters would be taught to sail and love the sea as he did. Jane and Elizabeth excelled naturally, Elizabeth perhaps the most of all, but each of her younger sisters was more than proficient. Her dad and Mr. Lucas had been tag team coaching the team since she was a little girl and on any given Saturday from about 11AM until sunset, she could always count on both her dad and Mr. Lucas to be on or near the UCLA boathouse deck yelling orders or instructions to whomever was around to listen.

Her mother rarely came down to the marina or went anywhere near the ocean, so she knew she didn't have to worry about dealing with her today. Elizabeth was entirely unsure if she could handle the drama that always surrounded her mother's hippie causes along with her own angst about the 2PM meeting today with Darcy, so it was good she knew she absolutely would not be there.

After checking in with the dock office and looking for the paperwork Chase had sent her to find earlier, she made her way to the UCLA boat house across the marina. Here, students learned, trained and practiced on the water 365 days a year. Most would never make it that far in international competition or events, but it was one of those subjects at UCLA that everyone liked to be able to claim that they had at least tried. Lizzie had been the sailing team co-captain with Chase and they had won every state and national title possible for the 4 years they had been undergrads at UCLA together.

As she approached the boathouse, Elizabeth was glad she kept a spare change of clothes in her permanent locker as well as her old wetsuit. It still looked choppy and overcast even as the cloud cover started to burn off and the water in the Pacific was normally a chilly 60 degrees- even midsummer. She warmly greeted the Mr. Lucas and his crew, hanging out in the office over cups of steaming coffee and found to her happiness that Chase was also visiting his dad before leaving to open the Nemesis for his team. Elizabeth she and Chase could also find a few minutes to talk before he left.

Jane hadn't answered her call or her texts all morning or from the previous night when she had left the party early, which was beyond strange. She was normally in touch with Elizabeth at least a few times a day.

Chase had been acting strangely since the engine room incident, so she invited him out in one of the small double crafts to chat and enjoy some time on the water. Chase gave her a strange smirk and told her he would rather race this morning like they used to when they were kids.

"It's ON!" "Be prepared to lose like always..." Elizabeth yelled back at him as she ran to quickly change in the locker room.

Within 3 minutes, she had wrapped her hair around itself and made into a messy bun, donned her wetsuit and was back on the deck, making funny faces at Chase while pulling a boat into the water.

Chase was in an equally good mood, laughing at her antics and grabbed another boat right beside her.

They settled into their boats, got their gear and arrived at their agreed starting line. As was their custom, they each took a moment to put their faces to the wind and stare up at the sky. When racing, they normally went to the second buoy and then returned. They did this twice and the winner of the race was whoever arrived back at the starting point first. Elizabeth felt Chase might have the advantage as he was admittedly better at close tacking in this kind of weather and wind than she was, but she let the wind pick up her spirits and with a playful laugh and a toss of her head towards the sky, she gave chase.

Very quickly, Chase was already half a boat length ahead of her, but Elizabeth was just so happy to be on the water with the tiller in her hand for a few minutes, his lead didn't bother her. The wind and power boats were noisy around them making their way through the marina to open water, yet Elizabeth remained determined to talk to Chase over the distance between them.

Chase seemed just as determined to discourage a conversation. Elizabeth couldn't figure out if it was because he really wanted to win, or if he was trying to avoid any real conversation with her.

Elizabeth tried to start with friendly banter again. _"Beni"_ he half yelled, half laughed, _"I can't say much, but here is __**all**__ I will say"_

"_Jane seems to really like this Charles guy and she should totally go for it...she should make sure he knows how much she likes him. He seems to not be an ass like the guys from the museum she normally dates..." _

"_and...Darcy isn't the complete prick I know you think he is, and yes, I still have my job..." _

Beni looked back at him curiously and said _"WHAT?!" _

"_How do you know all of that, wait, how do you even know about Charles and that he went out with Jane?"_

Chase's face broke out into a huge grin as he said..

"_Beni, please don't ask me more than I can tell you. But I've been on the boat, and I met Darcy before, remember?" _

"_You just have to trust me on this, I have been your best friend since the 3__rd__ grade and I have never let you down."_

"_Oh, and Beni, you might want to close your mouth and start sailing like you mean it, since you are a total LOSER right now and I am about the finally beat you!" _

**FRACK!**

Apparently when her jaw had gone slack, so had her sail and she was now giving up almost a whole boat length to her best friend.

**DAMN!**

Not normally one to give up easily (or at all), Beni could however still see by the strange look on his face that Chase felt he had a secret to keep, so she let it go for the time being and got serious about her sailing.

They had passed the second buoy and were turning arounf and wold be sailing towards the starting line again. It was almost neck and neck again as Elizabeth had picked up serious speed and was coming up on his side hard.

The quiet of her concentration was broken when she suddenly heard cheering –Beni looked ahead and was shocked to see a small party collected on their respective docks. There seemed to be teams on the deck to cheer them on. Now it really felt like they were in college again and Elizabeth was even more determined to beat Chase as she always had.

Elizabeth's team consisted of Jane, Charles, her father, Mr. Lucas and Darcy –along with two women who looked like they would feel more at home on Rodeo than here at the Marina. Elizabeth quickly recognized one of them from the party at the Getty. The fact they were all here and cheering for her was more than anything else-**bizarre**!

Chase had his entire crew, his younger brothers and at least half of the UCLA sailing team (the guys were sick of him being bested by a girl). As Elizabeth neared the starting point and made to turn around for the last lap, she heard Mr. Lucas speaking to her cheering squad about her "superior" skills. As she came even closer, she noticed that Darcy's stare was fixed on her and that he was in fact smiling down at her in the oddest way. Not normally upset by an audience, she felt herself blushing under his unwavering attention and unsure how to respond. Luckily, she had reversed course and was headed back out to the second buoy so she could no longer see his face.

Chase pulled ahead towards the first buoy, but Elizabeth quickly regained the lead closer to the second. As they rounded the buoy, Elizabeth took the opportunity to splash Chase with some cold water and rub in just a bit what she now felt was a sure victory. She was almost an entire boat length ahead. Her wind had picked up and she felt the win was easily in her grasp. As she closed into the last few feet a loud cheer went up. She had beat Chase hands down. Her perfect record of beating him since the 7th grade was as always, still intact!

Mr. Lucas called out to the sailors on the deck that Beni Bennet was still _"the best sailing instructor in their course"_, and then asked if anyone would _"like to take a turn with the master"_.

Beni almost fell out of her boat when Darcy quickly said in his annoyingly charming euro accent _"yes, please, I would"._

Elizabeth, entirely unsure of what he hoped to achieve in a tiny sailboat when they were due to meet in a few more hours, resolved to leave things between them as they were for the time being. She looked at her watch, saw it was already close to 10:30, apologized and begged away, making excuses and saying she would be happy to another time, but would be late for an appointment and now had to go.

Darcy bowed out like a gentleman and said to her directly that he hoped another opportunity would present itself and soon.

* * *

Beni quickly untied her hair from its ridiculous messy bun. She clambered out of her boat and tried to avoid anyone seeing her old wetsuit and purple croc ensemble by pulling her hair all around her. She thought it helped as her hair was waist length and hopefully covered what she knew was not a perfect figure in her skintight wetsuit. She did her best to avoid her cheering party as she grabbed her things and headed for the locker room. She hoped to escape the whole Darcy/Bingley party completely as she left the boathouse and road away. She also vowed to text her sister again to find out what in the world was going on, why she was with Bingley and most importantly, why she was ignoring her!

On her way to change, she did notice her younger sisters had made their way to the docks and were now flirting with the entire UCLA sailing crew. Seeing as how they were still in high school, she was annoyed with her Dad for not saying anything, but knew that if she censured them, she would be told off in front of her cheering squad and made to look like a prude overbearing older sister. This was clearly not the time to try to rein them in. She could only hope that the sailing team still had better sense than her sisters did and would remember they were underage and off-limits. Elizabeth looked around one more time and decided this was the absolute strangest Saturday morning she could ever remember on the docks! What could he mean by coming to watch her and did he know she would be there? It all seemed impossible... and yet the only explanations were unsatisfactory at best.

* * *

Darcy was rendered near speechless as Elizabeth got out of the boat. Her beautiful tresses, unwound from their bun now free in the wind and swinging around her waist, wind whipped around a nearly perfect figure. Her eyes danced with happiness and the glow and blush of victory and exercise stained her cheeks and lips.

_Why hadn't she agreed to go sailing with him?_

He had personally orchestrated the entire morning since she had left the Nemesis and it had almost gone perfectly until she had rejected him. Trying to recall the last time a woman had rejected spending time alone with him, he could not.

Caroline was vying for his attention, asking ridiculous questions about his family's long love of sailing, and their yearly corporate sponsorship of boats in the America's Cup. All Darcy managed to answer to questions was a prolonged stare toward the backside of Elizabeth Bennet before turning away from her and clearly trying to follow the green eyes into the crowd.

* * *

Caroline was surprised and frankly embarrassed that Darcy was this taken with the girl. Having already watched Darcy, watching her at the Getty, she had been convinced he was to agree with her assessment that the girl was simply headstrong and mannish. Her clothing was infantile and her profession was more suitable to a greasy young man than any type of respectable young woman. Her fingernails Caroline had already taken note were not just devoid of nail polish, but almost devoid of nails. At least Jane seemed to understand that any self-respecting women took care of herself and dressed appropriately.

Apparently, Caroline mused, Darcy had forgotten that just 3 days ago, he had been in a relationship (at least according to the gossip mags she read on the plane over with Charles) with the daughter of Greek shipping magnate. But now he was suddenly interested in the girl from the engine room? It was preposterous at the very best, but sure to be short lived as well.

* * *

Unclear on what his growing feelings towards her meant, Darcy was however sure of one thing. Her family was utterly ridiculous. Her younger sisters were totally uncouth and inappropriate, her father too permissive and her older sister smiled too much and as sweet as she was, was simply too eager to please. Elizabeth remained removed from his assessment of her family and their respective shortcomings. While he still did not know exactly how or what he felt about her, whatever it was, he certainly felt it deeply.

* * *

Loyal followers...don't worry, it will be 2PM before you know it...and...Chapter 12 is coming...I promise!

Reviews/comments/issues/angst are all appreciated in the meantime


	12. Chapter 12: 6 Sides of the Truth

Sincerely appreciate all of the reviews, favorites and follows!

I know I am taking some major creative license here...hope you can all bear it. If you can't, please accept my heartfelt apologies in advance. It will all come together in the end in classic P&P style, but this is the way it plays out in my head.

Chapter 12 has 6 parts as there are 6 sides of this specific point of the day to tell.

Thanks for all of the feedback and interest.

Have a great week!

Lady M

* * *

**Chapter 12: 6 Sides of the Truth (Parts: 1/2/3/4/5/6)**

**Part 1:**

**Elizabeth**

Elizabeth had attempted to sneak away from the scene at the boathouse only to come face to face with Rob Collins, her least favorite distant cousin who fancied himself important on account of his stewardship of one of the major America's Cup boats. As Elizabeth had little patience for self-serving peacocks that pranced around as men, she had even less patience for her pretentious cousin.

As she heard him loudly proclaim "Beni! Wait, it's me!" over the chatter of the crowd behind her, she was worried about people noticing her attempt at a quiet escape and quickly grabbed him by the arm, spinning him around and dragging him closer to the bike rack where she had locked her morning conveyance.

Rob looked at her ancient beachcomber and asked her if she wouldn't perhaps be more comfortable getting wherever they were headed in his new car. He proudly showed off his new Toyota Land Cruiser and told him the due to his recent win on behalf of his beloved patroness Miss Catherine De Bourg; she had bestowed upon him the large gas guzzling SUV. He also made it his place to inform Beni that eventually, she would realize engineering was not a suitable profession for a woman of her intelligence and come and crew with him. He spoke of far away trips, the lifestyle of a professional crew team and a sincere improvement over her "current misfortune" of being without a significant other or spouse at the ripe of old age of 26!

As appalled as she was at his attitude and cocky self-worth, she still needed him as cover to secure her escape. She said nothing, smiled politely and seethed in silence. Beni tolerated his incessant whining and managed to get both of them a good distance away from the boathouse. After which she quickly hopped on her bike, begged away with an excuse of a private paddle board class and pedaled away.

Taking a moment to look behind her as she raced away, Beni saw that her cousin was still talking. Apparently still totally unaware that she had actually left their conversation, he was now talking to himself. With a slightly guilty giggle, she turned back around, but it was apparently already too late. She had managed to ride her bike right into an unsuspecting pedestrian. Her victim, she noticed about 1 millisecond before impact seemed to be the proud owner of an incredible tan and a really nice smile attached to a beautiful body she was about to maim.

**CRASH** –Lizzie, her paddle board and her bike had nearly impaled the pedestrian onto a park bench. Luckily, he was awake, talking and laughing and did not seem to be too worse for his wear. Lizzie's board had crashed and broken into two upon impact. After surveying the damage she had created around her, she felt devastated for a moment, but then quickly realized the fact that no one seemed injured was far more important than her beloved paddle board. She quickly shoved the two pieces into a nearby garbage can and came back to check again on the man she had hit with her bike. He was walking around and testing out his leg which had apparently taken most of the impact. His coffee had gone flying and was lying in a messy puddle almost 5 feet from where they had collided, but he didn't seem overly concerned or hysterical which in her experience, beautiful men in LA many times were in situations like these. With a shrug, he brushed off his pants, gave her a megawatt smile and proclaimed that at the very least, she owed him another coffee for his trouble. Feeling brazen and more than a little bold from her victory with Chase, puzzling run in with Darcy and escape from Collins, she could do nothing but agree.

"Wickham, George Wickham at your service, madam"-he offered in a posh accent with a chivalrous bow. "Beni, I mean, Elizabeth Bennet", she answered with a shy smile in return, unable to fully meet his strong gaze.

George was thinking to himself what a lucky morning it turned out to be. Lizzie was thinking she was grateful for the diversion to get her mind off her pending meeting and unfolding Darcy situation, not to mention her near escape from Bill. Meanwhile Chase had watched her entire escape from a corner of the road near the boathouse that met the main road and now was now even more uncertain what to comprehend from the events of the morning.

* * *

**Part 2:**

**Chase**

Chase had loved Elizabeth as long as he had known her. Well, actually, he had loved her since the start of 7th grade.

Since that fateful day when Beni had challenged him to a boat race, won and not bothered to rub in her victory, but rather sat and reviewed with him the places where she felt he could have beat her if he had changed his tactics his heart had belonged to her whether she had known it or not. She was fire and brains, beauty and grace, laughter and gaiety, all wrapped up into an amazing real world package. He knew she perhaps did not see herself that way and that she had withdrawn from relationships of any sort after her accident a few years ago, but he felt that was just a face she put on for everyone else. Deep down, he believed she was still untainted where it mattered.

Chase had dreamed about being with her for so long, that they no longer felt like dreams, but rather like an alternative reality that he was actually just living on his own.

His constant daydreams made listening to Darcy on the phone this morning explain that he was himself interested in getting to know Elizabeth better, one of the hardest moments of his life. He feigned indifference and was convinced that if he simply turned things around for her to see, Beni would finally realize that Chase was her destiny and her intended. Chase knew that although he had gotten cold feet about making his move with Beni plenty of times before (for fear of rocking the boat) that this was his chance to show her all of the ways he loved her, and remind her of the history, friendship and companionship they had long shared.

Chase reasoned that Beni simply had to know what had always been in his heart..._didn't she_? It was unthinkable that she did not or could not already see the love in his eyes every single time he looked at her. Would he now actually have to face his biggest fear and spell it all out for her? He had hoped that allowing Darcy to make his move this morning would have pushed Beni straight into his arms. As well as he knew her, today had totally not gone as he had anticipated.

Worse than his fear of making his feelings known, was the chance that Beni didn't feel the same about him as he did towards her. That she could instead fall for a self-important, billionaire like Darcy where he envisioned she would become a piece of plastic arm candy. Admittedly, even worse would be if she fell for someone like the faker that had just charmed his way onto Elizabeth's arm when he threw himself in front of her bike. Chase knew Beni had not seen it, but Chase had seen the guy watching her and from his vantage point near the boathouse, that was no accident. Without ruining his chance, he wondered if we would get a fair chance to say the things he desperately needed to say to her before Darcy made the move he knew he had planned.

* * *

**Part 3:**

**Darcy**

Plan B was a failure which left Darcy without a well formulated strategic plan. Normally, his assistant took care of finding suitable women to attend functions and occasions with him, but this was entirely different. A woman was (finally) of actual interest to him and he felt himself compelled to learn more about her on his own.

He realized that revealing as much as he did to Chase may have been a mistake. Perhaps Chase was not the innocent go between he had made himself out to be. Perhaps he had shared Darcy's growing interest with Elizabeth and that was what had destroyed his hopes of sailing with her this morning and caused her to refuse him.

In the meantime, Darcy had noticed the odious Bill Collins with Elizabeth as she left the boathouse, he saw Chase also watching her sneaky exit. As crazy as it seemed, he also thought he had seen the George Wickham running into Elizabeth further down the street. He knew Wickham liked Monaco in the season, maybe even Venice and couldn't fathom he had actually left the Mediterranean where he liked to troll by coming to LA. Still, seeing someone that looked like him close to Elizabeth has opened up a totally different Pandora's Box deep within him.

When he had recovered somewhat, Darcy had immediately sent a text to Georgiana to make sure she knew he was in her thoughts. He also made sure to confirm the details of her arrival in Paris for the start of her spring holiday and saw to it that she would want for nothing until he could join her. He continued to hope that in that time, her heart and her body would begin to heal.

Just thinking about Wickham's actions towards his family made his heart grow cold. Darcy was determined that Wickham had abused his previous relationship with the Darcy family for the last time and this time, no matter how determined Wickham was he was determined to make him pay for his scheming and manipulative ways.

After placing a call to his head of security in Zurich and confirming that there was a security detail in hot pursuit, he tried to let the matter of Wickham rest.

Next, he spent a few moment thinking about the events of the last 2 days. What in the world was it about this woman that he could not dismiss? 2 days ago, she wasn't even on his radar and now she seemed to have drawn the attention of his overbearing Aunt Catherine's odious employee Collins, Captain Chase Lucas, of the Nemesis and a stranger who looked remarkably like the man that had almost singlehandedly destroyed his baby sister and the life he had built since the death of his parents? A

ll this was still regardless of the fact that Elizabeth's older sister Jane had apparently slept with his best friend and now Charles was already murmuring of taking her with them when they left the US again. Darcy would have to put a stop to that idea and fast.

Darcy walked back to the boathouse and found that Charles and his status obsessed sisters were making his plans for lunch. Annoyed but too distracted to argue about the details, he hoped it would give him time to think about something else for an hour. To his surprise, Charles' sisters had stooped low enough to invite Jane to join them as well. She seemed sweet but in Darcy's opinion she smiled too much and was too eager to please. And although she was a classic beauty –the type that had always attracted Charles, this was a weekend fling at best.

Still, Darcy was holding out that the lunch would prove to be less of a waste of his time as perhaps Jane would be willing to talk about her younger sister. Concentrating on his own thoughts, and before he could think of a reasonable objection, an early lunch for their entire party was to be hosted on the Nemesis. His protests were met with objections and he gave in rather quickly once he realized they might think more of his meeting at 2PM than he wanted them to if he protested too vehemently.

When he had spoken to Charles early this morning and realized that Jane had spent the night, he laughed at his friend's easy success at making new friends. Before Charles could explain or excuse his behavior, Darcy had demanded he bring Jane and meet him on the boathouse dock before 10AM to play part of the little ruse had had engineered with Chase as a means of gaining some time with Elizabeth.

His earlier assessment of Jane having been proven correct, he hoped Bingley had fun while he was here, but not too much fun, and he certainly hoped Jane hadn't gotten the wrong idea about her possible relationship with Charles. His friend always had a hard time breaking these flings off. Darcy assumed the task of ending it would fall into his own lap before they left LA. A job he was not looking forward to although he had done it in service of his friend many times before. This time would be no different even if he did harbor a strong and growing affection for her younger sister.

Darcy would make certain to finish lunch with plenty of time to spare before his meeting with Elizabeth. He still had a few surprises for her up his sleeve, the least of which was he was quiet certain she could not help but appreciate and admire.

Darcy had come slowly to the realization that _**"**__Elizabeth__**"**_ and her fiery green eyes had invaded his every thought and purpose. He couldn't think, concentrate or make plans without knowing he would have the chance to know more of her before he left LA. For what purpose he absolutely knew not, but he knew he had to make it happen all the same. He was bewitched, and knew not how or why. Laughing out loud, he realized they still had not even shared one short lived conversation. Yet everything he knew about her, he liked. He felt drawn to her as he had no other woman before her. This part of her mystery made her even more intriguing.

During their brief conversation this morning, Chase had said something seemingly inadvertently about an accident and Elizabeth's recovery. He wanted to know everything he could and offer solutions if something were still bothering her. If that didn't signify insanity, he didn't know what did. He also wondered how he should ferret out the closely guarded secret of her accident without raising the notice or interest of Jane or Chase. Had she had someone to comfort and take care of her as Georgiana had? He hoped so. She deserved at least that much.

She had awoken in his heart a place he had though until this weekend was in a permanent slumber. Even daydreaming about her was now becoming a torment. He suddenly came back to the present and looked around. He was more than surprised to find everyone looking at him expectantly. Had he unintentionally gone and revealed his true feelings about her to everyone in his party?

* * *

Part 4:

**Jane**

Things were moving fast, maybe too fast. No, definitely too fast!

24 hours ago, she had a date with a sweet and seemingly shy donor from the Getty who had swept her off her feet. This morning, although not compromised in any real way, she had woken up in his hotel room on the pullout couch. What a horrible way for the man to totally get the wrong idea about her. He probably thought she was a flighty bimbo instead of a serious student of art history and a professional with an MBA who had just pulled off the J. Paul Getty event of the decade.

As she pulled her fingers through her golden blond hair, trying to bring some semblance of order to the mess, she worried she would never get the chance to tell him how excited she was about the collections and community outreach his donation would make possible and how excited she was to bring art into the homes and lives of so many of the museums patrons.

As she quickly gathered her wrap and tried to restore her pride and make a quick escape this morning, Darcy had called and demanded Charles not let her leave. She had only been able to stop by her apartment quickly to change before they were on the way to the dock where Beni worked. Jane had no idea what was happening, but she had a strange feeling that Charles's friend was slightly more interested in her sister than he had let on to anyone else. Charles had simply asked her not to give away the surprise and promised her that it was something Beni would enjoy.

From her face, and the uncomfortable looks that had fluttered across it, she KNEW with 100% certainty that Beni had not enjoyed their cheering party and had done her normal evade and escape routine quickly afterwards. Jane, being her best friend in addition to her older sister, already knew that Elizabeth did not enjoy being the center of attention and never wanted to draw much attention to her. She was absolutely beautiful in her own way, but not everyone caught on to it. Was her sister still unaware that Darcy had arranged the whole thing? Could she really keep her end of the bargain with Bingley and not tell her sister anything, while not betraying her sister's trust?

The last person that seemed to be aware of her own beauty, Jane mused, was Beni herself. She also knew for certain that her little sister was totally uncomfortable in her own skin after the bad accident she had been a freshman in Engineering school with a project that had gone bad. She never wore bikinis or exposed her stomach or lower back even though she had the body for it. She could always be found in a full wet suit, tank top, yoga pants or a tee shirt. Jane knew she could insist from now until tomorrow that the burns on her sister's stomach and back weren't that bad but Beni would never hear the words. When knew the skin was still tender and raw all of these years later and that it still bothered her sister tremendously. Her defense mechanisms scared most men away. Her sister typically got cold feet with the rest and finished them off just as quickly. No one dared get close enough to really know her. They couldn't survive her wit or her acerbic tongue.

She remained hopeful though that the walls that Beni had put up around her after the accident and following the remark from their mother "how unlikely it was now that she would ever get married" would cease to be the voice in her head that she gave credence to. As Jane wondered for what was probably the thousandth time how she could show and prove to her sister how wonderful and deserving of love she was, she also wondered if and when Darcy would be the one to give her sister a run for her money.

Were his feelings deep? Had he begun to really care for her? Or would Beni's emotional and physical scars turn him away also? Would her impertinent nature and quizzical assessment of every person and situation tire his affection or would they instead serve as a food for love?

Jane was a firm believer that for every person, there was a match. Could Beni finally have found hers? In Jane's humble opinion, it was certainly about time.

And what of her own feelings for Charles? She had already decided that he was bright, light and fun. Handsome, charming, not overly conceited considering who he was and his vast estates and seemed like someone she could seriously think about a long-term relationship with. Now, how could she change his opinion of her? She could not bear the thought of him misunderstanding what had happened between them last night. She sincerely hoped he had taken the time to set Darcy straight about exactly what **had** and **had not** happened last night in his hotel suite.

Well, thinking on it again, she hoped he had not set him straight on everything. Having a third wheel in their relationship in the form of one seemingly taciturn and borderline uncivil best friend who maybe still thought she was easy, was not something she was especially looking forward to.

Should she call Beni back, or let Darcy try whatever it was he had planned? Should she trust Charles with this, or protect her sister at all costs?

* * *

**Part 5:**

**Wickham**

"Darcy is such a conceited, self-serving jerk!" he thought to himself. As such, he could almost taste the sweetness of his revenge and this time, Darcy would not win.

"The way I have planned it, Darcy will bleed and he will bleed badly!" George almost said out loud, catching himself just in time.

His birthright had been denied by the snobbish self-centered ass one time too many and this was officially the end of the Darcy reign of success.

Darcy thought he could have him followed by a bunch of hired goons? Did he not know who he was dealing with? Did he think drugging Georgiana was as far as things had gone? Sure, Georgiana had been fun, would have been even more fun if he hadn't been so rudely interrupted, but Georgiana was simply a means to an end. By sleeping with her and eventually forcing her to marry him if he got her pregnant (scandalous babies from wedlock were still not OK in the first tiers of European society), he would have access to major drug trafficking routes that Darcy had not even dreamed of.

With multiple private yachts and planes associated with FD Enterprises-transporting heroin and cocaine unknowingly along with his snobby friends was a lucrative business.

Darcy may have cut off his access to Georgiana, but Darcy was still a total idiot!

His security passwords were all still the same-Georgiana had clued him into that when he first started to pursue her and win her heart. Now he had the same relationship with a few of Georgiana's friends from finishing school. They told him where Georgiana was and where she and her brother were not, and whatever other tidbits Georgiana told them, they relayed straight back like a couple of well trained parrots. After all, it was just the innocent passage of information, in exchange for party drugs, but it certainly served him well and was a lot cheaper than hiring a P.I.!

He knew they wouldn't have liked to know they were being used, but then everyone who was anyone in the European party scene wanted a piece of Darcy. His name was everywhere, but he was nowhere near the scene to be found and there were at least 50 single women at any given time ready to sink their claws and claim him all vying for a piece of the Darcy fortune.

Wickham knew that would no longer be the case once he brought the world around Darcy down, sullied his family name and destroyed his perfect little family empire. All in a day of good fun though, and all in good time.

At present, he was having coffee with a cute little nymph he had seen on Darcy's boat during his surveillance over the last few weeks. After having paid off a member of the crew with some party "favors", Darcy knew she was an engineer, was well connected in the Marina and was as squeaky clean as clean could be. He had also gotten fresh intelligence this morning that Darcy apparently had a soft spot for the little lady. He had to admit that her eyes danced and her hair was enchanting. He could see what Darcy liked about her. Still, she wasn't up to his normal standard and she seemed too down to earth for Darcy's normal tastes, but to dig into Darcy he could see himself having a bit of fun with her just to screw the man a little harder and make it hurt a little more.

His plan was pretty simple and too smart for the likes of Darcy to figure out before his perfect world came to a screeching halt before him.

Have coffee with this woman and listen to her talk about what it was like to work on the Nemesis while his team staged the break-in on board the same boat. Set off the intruder alarm while he was seen with "Beni" –so there would be no doubt he was not involved. Next, make sure Darcy saw him with the girl, so the sense and feeling of betrayal and confusion was complete. Darcy would know the intrusion and the meeting with the girl was staged, but he wouldn't be able to prove a thing or understand his end game, which would drive Darcy half mad. Meanwhile, after stealing her engine designs (which she had been naive enough not to patent!) he planned to sell them to his friends in Dubai where they could put her plans into production for lower costs in the Asian, Mediterranean and African markets –while making sure Darcy took the fall for the design theft and a particularly bad batch of heroin that was about to hit US shores-imported in the hull of the Nemesis. Oh, just thinking about it got him almost too excited to finish his coffee with this girl. He felt slightly bad about what was about to befall her as she didn't seem to be the condescending jerk that Darcy was, but his feelings passed quickly as he thought about all of the wrongs that Darcy had brought upon his family and his honor. It was time for Darcy to pay. Too bad for the silly chit that she had gotten in the way.

Once Darcy had been utterly destroyed and arrested, his own drug smuggling routes aboard his boats would cease and he needed a way to keep his profits up. Beni Engineering was his answer. As he told her about the wrongdoings of Darcy and his sister towards himself and his promised job upon graduation from school, he could see Beni considering him carefully, thoughtfully, and tearfully. He could see in her eyes and her expression that she was truly sorry for the pain Darcy had caused him and seemed determined to help.

Oh, if he could only hear what Darcy would say when he caught them together in a few minutes. It would be even better if he knew what exact thoughts would be going through Darcy's head when he caught his first glimpse of Beni at his table, sharing a drink like an old friend.

But it was of small importance-his bigger kill of Darcy convicted by a US court of being a drug smuggler and spending his life in prison was coming soon anyway.

His whole plan was foolproof and it was really, almost too good to be true!

"Don't let me give it all away too soon!" –he thought to himself as he felt ready to gloat, and smiled at Beni innocently at the same time. Oh yes, he could tell she was already caught and now was the time to reel her in.

Why exactly did Darcy make it so easy for him by scaring off most of the women of his acquaintance on his own with his ridiculous snotty attitude and permanently attached scowl? Wickham didn't know, but he liked the feeling of power and his surefire success all the same.

* * *

**Part 6:**

**Bill **

If there was ever a man you wanted to bring your team together and ensure success "I am totally it!" Bill thought haughtily to himself.

His boss, the astute and driven Catherine De Bourg had made her best choice in her more than 30 years of serving as the "dragon lady" to the American yachting scene when she had hired him to fulfill her dream and go after the America's Cup.

He had realized her vision, spent her money and given her the victory they both richly deserved. Now that he had been handsomely rewarded by his patroness, it was time to claim what had not been given to him by birthright –like the dark horse Mr. Darcy with his silver baby spoon, but he had instead partially achieved by hard work and determination.

Bill thought longer and his reoccurring mental mantra went something like

"I can just about sell anything to anyone. I was born to do deals, bring teams together and make them successful. I'm going to ride on Madam De Bourg's coattails as long as I can" - "but next time, I won't even need someone like her! I'll just do it all myself!"

The only elements of his life Bill wasn't as cocky or self-assured about were of the XX chromosome variety. They tended not to take too well to his attempts at domination. Why that was, he was not entirely sure, but he was pretty sure his cousin Elizabeth was finally about to accept his offer.

She had certainly seemed different today. Unbalanced and unfocused which was totally out of character for her. He liked to think he had done that to her with his suave moves and would finally get what he wanted.

He wanted Elizabeth, on his team, in his life and in his bed.

"You can totally do this –you can sell ice to Eskimos" he reminded himself.

"Just make her an offer she can't refuse and you'll figure out how to finance it later."

"De Bourg has deep pockets and will do anything to win!"

Collins thought more about it and realized that surely the _Dragon Lady_ would support his addition of a nautical engineer to his crew and his plans to keep on winning.

He need never tell her his real motivations for having Elizabeth join the crew and design team of the _Lady Anne_.**  
**

* * *

I know, I know, I hate the back-story parts also and frankly, I wish I could just skip Wickham altogether! But I think he and Collins were necessary to arrive at the right ending and understanding between all of the characters. Sorry if you are impatiently waiting for more Darcy and Beni interaction. I have always felt Darcy and Elizabeth didn't interact enough in the original P&P and here I am, writing my own version and repeating the same folly. But I promise to rectify the lack of face time between them shortly!

Keep the faith...their inevitable E&D meetings of the minds and timeless dialog sessions are coming!

Reviews welcomed and issues addressed (or rebutted) as always...

Apologies this took me so long to update. The war ended, but then I got sick with one of my kids and then life happened and yada yada, blah, blah blah...I'll do my best, The story is admittedly on my back burner...but not forgotten! Chapter 13 is really almost finished and on the way!

Chapter 13 before end of January 2013 for sure...


	13. Chapter 13: Deeply

I updated Chapter 12 with all of the different sides of view...so make sure you go back and check the end of 12 to catch up with the story if the last time you were here was a while ago...

* * *

**Deeply**

Beni stared into her coffee hoping it would shed light on the complexities of the universe, or at least on the last few hours. Specifically, how what had started as a normal Saturday had turned into the most bizarre day on record, and most importantly, how she now found herself in her favorite coffee shop, talking bio green marine engines with the most beautiful man she had ever seen.

Trying to concentrate, she realized she had been flirting and was even surprised at herself. Not normally the one to be so forward, the coffee shop on Meryton Ave was, cozy and intimate and she found herself wanting to get comfortable with this new stranger.

He seemed genuinely interested in her boat engine design and her love of the water. Proclaiming after she nearly impaled him on her bike that he had also been raised on the docks and spent most of his childhood on the water, sailing as she had he had suggested coffee as payback and she had happily agreed.

They spoke for a while about the commercialization of the sport, old money and the reviving Atlantic fish stocks along the Eastern seaboard. Elizabeth stared at him for a moment and wondered if he was indeed real.

Wickham looked at Elizabeth and realized she was already half way in love with him. The time he had spent last night on her website and digging into her background had been worth it. She was the classic hippie ocean lover her master's thesis claimed she was. She was clearly smart, and had a quick wit, but she was still so easy to read for a player like himself, and even easier to manipulate. He knew what she wanted to hear and see and he was more than happy to provide it. He would goad her into bringing up the Nemesis next and then he would spin his Big Bad Darcy story. He wanted to make sure that when Darcy saw them together, he had already ruined Beni's opinion of the owner of the Nemesis forever. Fooling around with her before that happened, would just be icing on the cake.

After all, George Wickham reminded himself, yoga chicks had serious moves - didn't they?

* * *

Darcy was deep in thought about a pair of fine eyes. He found himself unable to concentrate on the conversation going on in front and around him between Jane, Bingley and Caroline. Bingley suggested they go for a drive and would meet the ladies back at the boat for lunch later. He found himself agreeing, but to what, he wasn't exactly sure. His mind saw nothing but Elizabeth.

Finally back at the car. Bingley noticed Darcy with a faraway look and asked if he wanted to get some coffee to help get his head straight. Darcy happily agreed. Charles texted Jane and asked where they could get good coffee as she knew the area so well. Jane knew where they had parked and told him he wasn't so far away from her favorite coffee hole. A tiny place on Meryton Ave where the locals hung out and strong coffee was the only option. He drove over and heard Darcy gasp when he saw Elizabeth coming out the front door of the establishment followed by a man who looked remarkably like Wickham. Darcy had told him this morning that Wickham was still in Europe and that his security team assured him he was being well tailed. Charles double parked, not caring about the 100 dollar ticket likely to be handed to him by some high and mighty parking officer. 100 bucks would be nothing to see how this was all going to play out. Darcy had been weird about this morning and Charles sensed his interest in Jane's sister was much more than he was letting on.

Elizabeth had her back to Darcy as he emerged by Charles' car. She had turned around when Wickham had grabbed her for a sudden although not unwelcome hug. With her arm still on Wickham, she turned to start walking back down the street, head in her own thoughts when she saw Darcy striding towards her, with a look on her face that she could only describe as disgust and hatred.

What didn't faze her was that Wickham came quickly up behind her and put a strong arm on her shoulder. After everything he had just related to her of his dealings with Darcy, Elizabeth guessed that her own stare back at Darcy was just as cold.

Darcy looked at Elizabeth, saw the glint in Wickham's eyes behind her and realized he was being played, but he did not yet grasp the extent to which Wickham had played him and would continue to try to destroy him and his baby sister.

At the same time, Wickham was enjoying the whole scene immensely. Darcy looked crushed, Elizabeth was out in front playing protector for him and at this very moment, his team was planting drugs aboard the Nemesis and would be setting off the motion sensor alarm in a matter of minutes making the whole thing look like a burglary. He had sent the text message putting his plan in play to his associated from behind his back while giving Elizabeth that not so unplanned public hug.

Darcy demeaned himself low enough (or so Elizabeth thought) to acknowledge both her and Wickham with a curt and very formal "**_hello_**" in their general direction, or so Elizabeth understood anyway, before Darcy turned heel and seemed to be walking away as fast as he had come.

Darcy was surprised when his phone starting ringing from his back pocket with an unusual tone. All at once, he knew it was the new intruder alarm on the Nemesis. His IT guy had installed it when he had told him he planned to sleep on the boat and hooked it directly to his phone, but it had never gone off before. As he felt the vibrations and heard the custom app ring, he turned around from the Elizabeth and Wickham nightmare before him to pull his phone out and check the video feed.

He saw masked men with scuba gear jump overboard and out of sight of the motion cameras on the main deck. He quickly dialed Chase and started walking back to the car, motioning the Charles that they were headed out and to get himself back into the drivers seat. Darcy had a sinking feeling that his personal nightmare, George Wickham was connected to everything that had just gone wrong, but admitted that he still had no clue how all of the pieces fit to together.

One thing was very certain though, seeing Elizabeth with Wickham had been a new kind of personal hell and one he didn't plan a repeat stay in any time soon.

Darcy left an utterly perplexed Elizabeth wondering what in the world had just happened and a Wickham trying incredibly hard to hide his almost overwhelming glee in front of the girl of Darcy's dreams.

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Sorry for having been so distracted recently and letting the story go quiet. Hopefully chapters coming faster now once again.

Time check...when exactly is it 2PM? Sooner than you think! :)

Reviews and comments appreciated!


	14. Chapter 14: Charged

I'm sorry, this is so late, blah, blah, blah, and you don't care. My pet gerbil got chicken pox and whatever. I'll try to do better, most likely I won't. I don't own anything and please don't sue me –thanks for sticking with my story. I haven't abandoned it and I will finish it (eventually) XOXO Lady M

**Charged**

As Darcy raced back to the Nemesis, his heart was filled with...Wait, what was it filled with? He thought to himself that whatever these emotions were, they weren't ones he was exactly familiar with.

Dread, longing, excitement, vitality, fear.

Not something a Darcy felt on an everyday basis. One thing was for certain, the feelings that emanated from his non relationship with Elizabeth Bennet had him on edge. He thought again and then realized he liked the feelings. It was as if his heart was defrosting, slowly, and the sensations –although unfamiliar were not unwelcome. It had been too long since he had felt much of anything (besides hatred for Wickham and love for Georgiana) for anyone.

After a few moments of silence, he realized Charles was speaking to him.

_"Darcy...Dar-CY...DARCY!"_

_"What the hell happened back there, man?"_ Charles asked Darcy, worried about his friends silence.

Darcy blew out a quick sigh and answered,_ "Long story, or maybe, short story, Wickham, Beni and my boat was just burglarized by a bunch of thieves with serious gear."_

_"Please Charles, just get us to the Nemesis right now."_

_"I'm on it!" "there in less than 5"_ – Charles responded, realizing there was more to this story, but that Darcy would only tell him when he was ready.

In the meantime, Darcy quickly sent an SMS to Elizabeth. She was responsible for his new engine and he wanted her to personally make sure things were running smoothly. He also had the feeling, that although everything seemed disconnected, it was somehow an elaborate plot that had Wickham's fingerprints all over it.

_**Nemesis, just burglarized, guys w/ serious scuba gear. Please, meet the boat ASAP and ditch your coffee companion on the way over. ~D**_

Darcy read the text aloud to himself. Then he read it again and changed the inflection in his voice. Charles starting laughing. Darcy looked over at his friend. Darcy's face contorted into an expression Charles had never seen before. Stopped at the light, Charles tried to grab the phone and just send the text message for him. Darcy grabbed his phone away.

Charles came back with _"You like her, a lot, so just admit it to yourself and make your move" "She would be a fool to reject you."_

_"She already rejected me"_ answered Darcy.

_"No, she rejected your attitude, think about it and her and up your game my friend. If you really want her, she'll be yours pretty easily"_

As they pulled into the underground parking garage for the dock, Darcy hit send on his message to Elizabeth. He knew how long it would take her to get there from where he had left her, so he figured he had 15 minutes on the boat to get himself together and make a plan of action. He had planned something totally different for 2PM, but that would have to wait.

Darcy still couldn't imagine why anyone would break into the Nemesis with such serious gear. The only valuable thing on the boat was essentially the engine, and they didn't take it with them when they jumped into the water, so something wasn't making any sense to his way of thinking.

As they got to the boat, they heard Caroline and Jane. Jane had the SUPs (stand upright paddleboats) out on the dock and she was trying to convince Caroline to come and join her. Insisting it was great exercise and a lot of fun. Caroline was having none of it. She had positioned herself for maximum Darcy view upon his return to the boat, wearing a flaming orange bikini and sarong.

She thought she looked perfect sunning herself on the dock. She couldn't be up on the boat as the police were swarming as were Chase and his crew. She had forgotten that this wasn't the sunny Greek islands and this time of year, LA on the water was freezing. She was about to turn blue waiting for Darcy to arrive, but this was her chance to show off her assets to Darcy and solidify her rightful place by his side, once and for all.

Darcy quickly nodded to Jane and Caroline and went to see Chase and see what the police had to say. Darcy noticed the DEA team arrive near the entrance to the dock, but paid them no notice assuming they were part of the regular Coast Guard or Police force in LA when something criminal happened on the water.

Jane slipped the SUP into the water and had walked onto it, steadier herself and was about to pull away when Caroline suddenly screeched. Caroline hated dogs and the DEA canine crew had come up her suddenly, with one of the dogs stopping to lick and nuzzle her. At Caroline's unexpected screech, Jane lost her balance and hit her head on the side of the dock as she fell into the water. 20 police and DEA units saw it happen, along with Charles, and it became was a mad rush of testosterone to see who would come to her aid and rescue first.

Bleeding from a gash near her forehead and somewhat dazed, Charles managed to be the one who offered CPR, although Jane was breathing on her own.

Jane smiled at her rescuer weakly, apologized for being clumsy and proceeded to feel badly about getting water all over the decks of Darcy's boat. Charles dismissed her worries, carried her into the master suite and asked Darcy where the first aid kit was. Close on his heels were at least 10 guys and a canine all wanting to offer their help to the helpless female in his arms. Two of the helpers offered first aid kits, another brought towels and still another had a hypothermia blanket.

As Charles took care of her oldest sister, Elizabeth Bennet was on her way to the Nemesis via her bicycle. It took her a little longer, but she didn't want to lose her transportation if she took a cab to the boat. Anyway, she couldn't understand what a burglary would have to do with her. The fact that Darcy wanted her to ditch Wickham on the way pretty much said it all.

_"The man is just a petulant overgrown child" "don't let him get to you"_ Elizabeth muttered to herself as she tried to speed up the last few blocks to his boat.

When Elizabeth got to the boat, she saw one of the Nemesis SUPs floating in the water about 25 yards from the boat. She also knew that a SUP could do serious damage to a small craft on the intercostals and that it was especially hard to see and avoid. Who was the idiot who left a SUP in the water and let is just float away? Beni saw commotion on the boat, but she was more concerned with the other boats that might be damaged so she quickly grabbed the remaining SUP, paddled herself over to the abandoned SUP, perched herself to grab it, and then managed to paddle herself back with the other one in front of her.

Once she got to the dock, she pulled herself and both SUPs out of the water and when to find Darcy and Chase. She heard serious barking from inside the Nemesis. What the heck was going on here today?

Darcy had seen Elizabeth, but he was in the middle of trying to understand why the DEA dogs were on his boat and why on earth they were barking, when Elizabeth came on board shouting at Chase and his crew and eventually at him as well.

_"SUPs, left out in the intercostals are a huge hazard to small craft, Chase. What the hell were you thinking?"_

_"And why are there dogs on the boat, and why are they barking like that?"_

_"Jane, is here and was in an accident?"_

_"My sister fell of a SUP?"_

_"What are you talking about, where is she?"_

It was almost too much for Elizabeth to take in, she rushed down to the cabin area but was stopped at the door by a DEA agent who told her she couldn't enter. Elizabeth squared her shoulders, and told him that her sister was in that room, that she was the engine designer for the boat and there was nowhere that Mr. Darcy did not permit her to be.

She found herself pushed aside, and then pushed against Darcy's back. He had apparently come down right behind her. The turned quickly and saw that she had been followed by both Darcy and Chase. The agents blocking the door to the Master cabin asked them both who was responsible for the boat. The three of them looked at each other, then back at the agent.

_"This is Darcy's boat, but I designed and retrofitted the engine, Chase is the Captain and responsible for the crew." What exactly do you need to know?"_ Elizabeth asked, unsure where this line of questioning was going.

_"Well, for starters" answered the agent "which of you is responsible to the drug smuggling operation trying to bring the 5 kilo of heroin we just found aboard the boat into LA?"..._

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Please don't hate me for leaving things here...it will eventually be 2PM...

Reviews will get you Chapter 15 that much quicker!


	15. Chapter 15: Touched

**I'm not sorry, this isn't late and so I'm not apologizing. **** Thanks for the lovely reviews and the really funny private messages. **

**Loved the LBD this week...but this isn't LBD. If you only want LBD, you are reading the wrong story. As much as I love what they did, that isn't the story swimming in my head right now. **

**Final revelation...I still don't own P&P!**

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**Touched**

Beni had heard the words but hadn't really registered what the DEA agent had asked.

If she had, she might have taken a less rigid, less frontal attack stance and relaxed her posture.

She also might not have been as hyper focused on Darcy's fingertips resting lightly on the back side of each of her hips. She did not remember him being that close to have touched her–but then she could barely concentrate due to the heat his touch on her skin was evoking. It was white hot and, she was willing to admit to herself, dangerous to her sanity.

Beni tried to find the words to tell Darcy to take his hands away, to leave her alone, to back up or to just give her space. But none of those words came. In fact, the only coherent thoughts or words she could come up with were **comfort**, **safety**, **warmth** and a final thought of **please, oh please keep your hands on my body**.

As the DEA agent searched her face for some flicker of guilt or inadvertent admission of knowledge, Beni's internal thoughts were more interestingly turned.

For a moment, she allowed herself to think, or rather to dream about what it would be like to have someone strong like Darcy standing behind her, supporting her, loving her.

Those were the dreams she normally didn't allow herself to think or dwell on. She did not expect anyone to ever love her. Knew her body was repulsive after the lab accident had left her midsection burned years ago and she refused to accept pity from anyone. Instead, she lived for herself, to realize her dreams and take pride in her accomplishments.

But here, on this beautiful boat, in the craziest moment, when she realized that her whole future might come to a shuddering halt within moments, her career tossed overboard, or worse, facing years alone in prison for a crime she knew she had not been a part of, she allowed herself a moment to dream and hope and want.

She allowed herself to imagine that she was someone that belonged to someone, that she mattered to a man, a partner worth having, that she was loved and supported and filled with a sense of warmth and security. Financial protection and chivalry had always been more than she expected, even before the accident, but she reasoned with herself that this was her fantasy and for the next few microseconds, she would allow it all to continue along in her head for as long as possible.

Beni knew the exact millisecond it was over. She felt the change in Darcy's breath on the back of her neck as his warm, strong fingertips slipped away from her waist. The enticing Camelot of her mind had come to a very real end.

Before Elizabeth had gathered her thoughts at the accusations being leveled at the three of them, she heard a hiss of frustration escape from Darcy's lips behind her as he managed to move her aside and then behind him before she had a chance to react.

With a bit more snobbish pride than was probably necessarily, Darcy asked the DEA agent if he knew who he was addressing with his accusation. When Darcy got no response, he proceeded to tell the agent exactly who he was, who his friends were and the long list of names of the members of the US Congress and Senate that were in the speed dial of his cell phone. Darcy put his hand up when the agent began to speak and voice dialed his LA law firm. He quickly instructed his lawyers to get down to the boat immediately.

He then turned to Beni and Chase and told them both to stay silent, that he would get to the bottom of this and did not need their help.

Turning his attention back to the agent, Darcy went on the offensive. Asking the agent if he had considered the stupidity of what he had guessed to be the situation. Darcy told him he was welcome to check the manifests, assuring him that the boat had until yesterday the boat had been in dry dock for months during an extensive engine retrofit and that no one would be smuggling drugs into or out of the US from this boat. The boat was destined for the Med and if the agent knew anything, he would know that 95% of the world's heroin came from that area, from the poppy fields of Northern Africa and Asia and someone would have to be beyond stupid to transport drugs from Northern Africa, to the US (where there was an actual DEA) to head back to North African aboard this boat when it was still unclear when and if it would even make its way there.

Darcy had quickly turned the tables on their investigation and was soon demanding to speak to the Agent in charge, he wanted details on the investigation so far, and confirmation on whether or not they had run a spectrum analysis on the drugs to determine which type of heroin it was and exactly where it came from.

If the DEA Agent wondered how Darcy knew so much about heroin, he didn't say. It made Beni curious, but she was slightly more awestruck at his ability to control the situation and the people within it than anything else.

Beni and Chase found themselves entirely left out of the conversation, but they were also still blocked on both sides from leaving. As Elizabeth continued to watch Darcy, she was introduced to the suave business man, the impatient executive, and the demanding wealthy patron. He clearly expected and demanded perfection from everyone he interacted with at all times.

Half-assed wasn't something he apparently had any patience for. Beni found herself liking this aspect of his personality more than she expected to.

At some point, it seemed as if an entire boat load of fancy lawyers arrived. Beni grimaced at Chase and assumed this was where she or Chase or both of them would be railroaded and held on suspicion of drug smuggling/handling or whatever crime Darcy was going to money his way out of. But that was entirely not how things happened.

At one point, Beni felt the tensions rising in the room, and while she didn't understand most of the legalize being throw around, and didn't miss that Charles and Darcy were speaking in what sounded like French or Italian half the time , she felt the need to warn Darcy off sounding too heavy handed.

She spoke to him softly but certainly loud enough for him to hear,_"Darcy, why do you have such a propensity to hate everyone"_

_ "These guys are just doing their jobs; they found drugs on your boat, which Chase and I have been in charge of. It is a natural and normal progression of events for them to suspect us"_

Darcy was livid after he heard her words. Did she not realize that he had been arguing for her freedom for the last 30 minutes? He quickly responded without thinking

_..."and your propensity Elizabeth is apparently to willfully misunderstand them"_

Beni fell silent as she heard this yelled across the whole boat filled with people, but directed at her.

After gathering paperwork and signatures, the agents swiftly informed Beni and Chase they were free to go. Beni asked if she could now go to her sister and take her home.

Charles managed to make his way through the swarms of agents and crew towards the master cabin and towards Jane.

Not surprisingly, Darcy was absent from what was quickly becoming a "glad to be free" party of sorts happening in the Master Suite. Elizabeth guessed Darcy hated her, or pitied them or whatever she assumed was happening in his inflated mind and behind his cool exterior.

Darcy was trying to be careful to avoid her until she left as he had come ridiculously close to pulling her straight back into his embrace during their questioning, which would have been embarrassing and revealing for him under any circumstances. Letting everyone on the boat know his feelings was beyond unthinkable for someone of his station in life.

Elizabeth knew that if she stayed aboard the Nemesis any longer, she would be forced to be in Darcy's company as the boat was large, but it wasn't a ship. As it was, she was having a hard time reconciling the Darcy with whom she could surprisingly and very suddenly now imagine having a relationship and the jerk she was more used to assuming he was, after he had shouted at her in public just a few minutes ago.

What in the world was wrong with her? If the touch of a man's fingertips on her waist for a few moments had her spinning like this, what would happen if she tried to get physical with someone? Man, it had been way to long since she had even tried to be in any kind of relationship or let a man close to her.

At this point, Elizabeth made a point to herself to stop daydreaming about things that would never be and to focus on Jane. She made her plans to leave clear to Charlie and asked him if he could go and confirm that the legalities of leaving were all sorted out. She also told him that she expected him to call her mother and would have to deal with the fall-out of that experience on his own.

The fact that he readily agreed to call her mother, with no protest, actually gave Elizabeth hope for his relationship with Jane.

Charles proceeded to leave the main cabin to find Darcy and the legal team. He informed Darcy that Beni planned to leave and wanted to confirm her plan as long as she agreed not to leave the State. All sides agreed and she was free to go.

Darcy had already come to realize how dangerous paying too much attention to Elizabeth Bennet actually was for him. He was also certain that although he still didn't know how, he knew without question that Wickham had somehow set them all up. Wickham had managed to ferret out his partiality for Elizabeth almost before he was aware of it himself and unless he stayed far away from her, he was equally as certain that this would end badly for all of them.

Darcy mused that whatever would have or could have happened between them would have been short lived and largely unsatisfying anyway due to their widely different social statuses, but it still felt like a loss.

To assuage the unfamiliar steady burn in his heart over his decision to ignore Elizabeth, Darcy tried to remind himself that beautiful women threw themselves at him regularly –and while admittedly, a woman who rejected him was a rarity, and one who actually lit him on fire was singular, and until now unknown, he still could not risk another run in with Wickham. Wickham had already cost him and his family far too much.

Jane was able to walk, but was to be carried off the boat and Charles would drive them home. He assured Beni he would get her bike back to her apartment somehow and left to take care of seeing Jane off the boat.

Beni decided she trusted Charles enough to leave Jane to his tender care for a few minutes and went to find Chase and confirm there were no loose ends for her on the boat before she left and took Jane home.

On the way to where she thought Chase would be through a lower passageway, she suddenly found herself pulled to the side, wrapped in strong, warm arms, and kissed deeply and passionately from the shadows...

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**Next up...Chapter 16: Surprised**

_OK, fess up, time to admit it, you actually love me right now. And to show me how much you love me, you'll leave a review!_


	16. Chapter 16: Hurricane Caroline

**Wow, I really felt the love over the last few days everyone. The mix of love/hate mail over the cliffhanger was especially appreciated! I promise to never do that to you again...oh wait, no I don't, or then this would be totally boring and you would stop reading and reviewing –bruising my ego irreparably and leading to total writers block and the end of the story...**

**Notice to all LBD addicted fans...this chapter is actually for you. No, this is still not LBD. However, as I absolutely hated episode 99 and looking back on it, 98 is kind of awful at the end as well I felt you needed a gift of sorts. **

**Well, 98 starts off ok, but the smarmy, fake, vapid, ditzy flirt Lizzie has suddenly become is making me want to vomit repeatedly. I loved the Lizzie portrayal until now and think Ashley is brilliant, but this ending for me is totally off. The writing is blah and I just don't like the portrayal at all. Kate Nobel –totally missing you and the Chinese here! I feel like classic Lizzie got lost. Lizzie opening-ly love struck is more like Lizzy with a lobotomy (IMHO). **

**So I therefore felt you loyal readers needed some saving and virtual chocolate salvation from episodes 99 and 100, if you think at all like I do about the new Lizzy. With that, I offer you LBD obsessed fans a humble serving of Chapter 16...Hurricane Caroline with a side of Wickham pie.**

**Reminder..my programming is designed to produce more writing when fed with reviews and ideas...**

**Final revelation...I still don't own P&P!**

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**Chapter 16: Hurricane Caroline with a side of Wickham Pie**

_"Can't stay away from her..."_ was the theme flittering through William Darcy's head as he finally gave in to his growing feelings and grabbed Beni. She was just passing by him on one of the lower, darker passageways of his boat. He smelled her perfume, caught a glimpse of her glowing hair and let himself get lost in the moment. In fact, he let go with an abandon that was wholly unfamiliar to him.

Before he knew what he was even going to do, he was kissing her. He poured everything he had to give into that kiss, even the parts of himself he always held back. Parts she had only recently re-awaked from their long slumber, seemingly, since his parents had died. He hadn't spent any time really thinking about it, he just couldn't remember his heart hurting like this, since the day he had buried his father next to his mother, with Gigi standing stoically by his side.

Darcy knew full well the risks he was taking. He quickly realized he didn't give a damn.

He barely knew this woman, and yet he was willing to show himself to her, to give her everything, to deliver his sanity into a relationship that didn't even yet exist. Hopefully, Beni could and would understand their connection and communicate it better than he could. He realized he couldn't verbalize his feelings yet, but he felt, deeply, and it would have to be enough for now.

If she was as passionate and giving in bed and in life as she was when kissing him by surprise in the passageway, he was surprisingly certain they could and would work it all out in time.

Beni was overwhelmed. By Darcy's warmth, his size, his nearness, his apparent affection and the feelings he was conveying with his lips and hands as they explored her body. Cocooned within his arms, she was on the verge of totally letting go, of giving in and of giving herself over to him and the power of his kisses. At that moment when her normally strong legs were weakening and her resolve collapsing, she heard his start to say...**_"C-a-a-a"_**

In an instant, her own relationship and romantic insecurities completely destroyed her.

_"C-a-r-o-l-i-n-e",_

_"William Fricking Darcy though she was f-cking Caroline Bingley?"_

_"That stupid, vapid sister of Charles who seemed hell bent on making her feel like a social outcast?"_

_"No. F-ck NO! This was just not happening"_

_"Oh no, of course it is happening, because my nonexistent love life is like a horror movie that just doesn't end..."_

Desolate, Beni reluctantly pulled her lips away from his as she thought to herself "he might think I'm someone else, but he can really kiss!"

_"Damn you Caroline Bingley, you don't deserve any man, especially not him!"_

_"UUUUUUUUUGH!"_

Darcy was exactly as George had said. Wickham had warned her just an hour ago, but she had dismissed parts of what he said thinking Darcy could not actually be that bad. Apparently though, he was.

A cold, heartless, player stuck on himself and his own wealth and sense of self-importance. More than that, Beni argued with herself, the man shouldn't just walk around thinking he could grab and kiss people. Damn his sorry (but admittedly sexy) ass for liking, no, loving Caroline fricking Bingley and damn him for making her care even a little bit about him!

Finishing the emotional tug o war happening in her head, Beni pulled herself back into the light, the look of anger on her face was unmistakable. She was seething, but used a quick yoga breath to calm herself before she looked Darcy in the eye, let him see the error of his actions and said:

**_"Darcy, my employment was never conditional on physical contact. I assume that this is the last time you will ever make the mistake of touching me. I'll be back tomorrow to work on the engine with Chase. I would say sorry for confusing you, but maybe this incident will teach you to think before you act."_**

She desperately tried to hide her tears before she turned and ran the other way.

Darcy was frozen in place. His head, ok, let's be honest, his brain was largely unresponsive and after that kiss, he was only capable of semi rational thinking with his pants at this point. –something told him to respond, to run, and to run after her. But he found himself unable to do much more than sigh and reflect happily on whatever that had been. He had completely misunderstood what had just happened, but he was still blatantly unaware of any of that.

Covering her face with her hands, Elizabeth ran into Chase. He steadied her as he took in the tears, the look in her eyes, and her swollen lips. Hugging her to himself as a best friend should. He knew she had kissed Darcy, and he assumed he knew what the tears were from as well. That she had feelings from Darcy and was fighting them out of fear of the unknown.

Giving up on years of his own romantic love for her be hard, but he knew that if he truly loved her, he might have to let her go –wait, who was he kidding, he never had her to begin with. Her friendship, yes, he knew he had that. But her love, like he had always wanted it, no. Apparently Darcy got that in just a day.

Beni pulled away from his embrace at that second and looked up at him.

_"Chase, I, ...um...oh, why are you so good to me? ...and easy to talk to?"_

_"Oh, right, because I don't keep secrets from you and you treat me like one of the guys"_ –she was partially talking to herself and partially to him as he held her against his chest in a familiar brotherly embrace.

Beni quickly hugged him back, dried her tears into his Nemesis crew shirt and told him she would be by tomorrow to run the engines with him again.

Chase looked at her like she was from Mars before stating what he thought would be obvious

_"Beni, you do realize that the DEA is probably going to impound the boat. Just because Darcy pulled some strings to get us off on bail doesn't mean the drugs just magically go away!"_

_"This boat isn't being released or going anywhere quickly."_

_" I've been thinking about making other plans."_

_" Too much has already happened today, esp. between you are Darcy."_

_"I suggest you go home, take Jane, take your time and we'll talk in the morning."_

_"There will be plenty of time to talk and figure things out away from the drama still going on here."_

Beni started to try to explain to Chase what had actually happened with Darcy and in between crying she managed...

_"Darcy and I" "well, wait, you don't", "you didn't see" "it was..."epic" "unforgettable"..."I hope he" "amazing"..."leaving"..."won't forget"..."can't stop thinking about"..."can't believe how wrong I was about him"..._

Chase saw that she was quickly becoming upset as she explained whatever had just happened with Darcy. He was pretty certain he couldn't handle hearing her describe how kissing Darcy was, so as it seemed she was about to explain those bits of the encounter, Chase hugged Beni to him again, and proceeded to drag her off the boat with Jane and Charles in tow. Effectively silencing her up about her need to squeal and act girly about the Darcy encounter. He might be her best friend, but there was NO way in hell he was going to listen while she gushed on about some other guy.

Darcy only heard snatches of her conversation with Chase.

Finally! That was it, he figured out her game. Beni Bennet was playing hard to get. Normally, Darcy hated women that played games. But on Beni, he made a snap decision, it was somehow cute and endearing. She appeared to be crying from happiness explaining it to Chase –her professed best friend. And as she did technically work for him or FD Enterprises as his US subsidiary was called, a sweet game of office cat and mouse with her would actually probably be fun. Now knowing how she really felt about him after hearing her describe their encounter to Chase, made the thrill of the chase a lot more exciting.

A few moments later Darcy's phone began to vibrate. As he slipped the phone out of his pocket, he saw his sisters Gigi's face on the caller ID. He voice commanded it to answer immediately.

_"G"_ was all Darcy managed to croak out before he heard and saw her crying on the video call.

_"G-what is it? What happened?"_

His heart nearly sank as he heard her whisper in between fits of tears _"William...its Wickham ...again...I need you...please...can you come home...right now?"_

There was no question, He had already failed his sister once where he was concerned. There was absolutely no way he was going to do it again. He knew they didn't want him leaving the country yet –he would have the bank issue a special bond double the value of the heroin they found that would allow his international parole to get approved. Who cared. Why did he have money if he couldn't use it when he needed to? He was leaving today to take care of Gigi. There would be hell to pay for anyone who told him otherwise.

_"G, I'll leave for the jet now. With the time difference, I'll only get there tomorrow morning sweetheart, now start telling me exactly what happened." _

_"You'll be OK G. I won't let him hurt you this time. I promise."_

By the time William had come back to the main lounge, Jane, and Elizabeth had already gone. Not that it mattered, William was in a panic about how Wickham seemed to be everywhere and had just royally screwed up his life once again.

Williams spent an hour on the phone dealing with security arrangements, travel arrangements, legal and financial matters. By the time he was done, more than 100 people around the globe were mobilized to do his bidding-total destruction of George Wickham was now his top priority. Darcy didn't mind and he didn't feel guilty for mobilizing his minions, he would spend all of the money in the world to keep his family safe.

George Wickham really had no idea how big of a shitstorm he had just brought upon himself. No one screwed with William Darcy twice.

As William boarded the private jet back to Europe, he thought about everything he was leaving behind in LA. He felt bad about the Nemesis –as it would probably be impounded for months if not years. All of Elizabeth's engine plans and dreams, gone in an instant. Still, he didn't expect she would really want to spend all of her time in an engine room for much longer. He hoped she wouldn't care as much when he made her a more formal offer of companionship the next time they met.

He expected that while Elizabeth seemed interested in her pet engine projects-being the girlfriend of one of the world's youngest and wealthiest bankers would probably be a bit more entertaining and existing than working on the docks in Marina Dell Ray. He was certain she would ditch those sparkly purple Crocs in a second for some Jimmy Choos if he gave her a real chance.

Darcy decided to wait to call Elizabeth for a few days. After all, he was pretty sure that in the classic game of playing hard to get, absence only made the heart grow fonder...


	17. Chapter 17: Aftermath

Thanks for all of the reviews for 16. Sorry if anyone found the internal conversations vs. actual conversations unclear. I am still trying to figure out a way to format that better. If you have suggestions-drop me a line...

I still don't own P&P. Also, admittedly Wickham bits are my worst...I know he is a necessary evil, but I hate him, thinking about him and writing him all the same.

******This story is now dedicated to FF user: **Etoile 27 (Isabelle)*******

Isabelle favorited my story when I published the very first chapter and we started a correspondence via private messaging. After speaking a few times, she suddenly went silent and her partner just told me that she suddenly passed away. Isabelle, thank you for the kind words and the encouragement to keep writing. You will be missed! The rest of Nemesis is dedicated in your honor.

**Chapter 17: Aftermath **

Elizabeth Bennet was so confused she was almost convinced she had the head injury and not Jane. Her head was pounding and none of the ideas floating through it seemed to make much sense.

She got Jane home to their apartment, where Charles Bingley seemed to have insinuated himself by Jane's side and left her as a useless third wheel.

Now feeling like the useless younger sister in her own home, intruding on Jane's privacy, she wasn't sure where to go or what to do. The Nemesis was off-limits. Her haven for the last few months now firmly under the jurisdiction of the DEA and Marina Del Ray Coast Guard.

There was one place where Beni allowed herself to totally let go, she knew she needed to head back to the water and get a hold of her thoughts and emotions. Her encounter with Darcy was still spinning in her head and nothing she was currently thinking was coherent enough to sort into any semblance of rational, logical thought.

She found her cell phone to find out if Chase wanted to come down to the water with her and saw she had missed two text messages.

Missed SMS Messages:

**Elizabeth, sorry to cancel our 2PM. Will call soon to discuss legal details and invoices. ~FD**

**Liz, coffee was good, but I want more. When can I see you? Call me, George**

She called Chase, but he didn't answer, so she left him a message to call her back. Darcy's text had been no surprise. Clearly, she had disgusted him and been upset when he realized she wasn't Caroline as he had thought and now did not even want to meet with her professionally face to face.

It seemed as if the only thing that would salvage the wretched day she was having was George Wickham. Everything he had said about Darcy had sounded slightly hollow and implausible during their coffee powwow this morning, and yet, here she was, with a wrecked career, an impounded cutting edge engine, drug bust, a suddenly cancelled meeting and a jerk for an employer who couldn't even treat her with an ounce of professional courtesy and keep an appointment after a physical misunderstanding which hadn't been her fault.

Screw F Darcy. It would take her a year to rebuild her business, if it could even be salvaged at this point. She had paid for so many things in advance, she didn't know how she would recover if he refused to pay her bills, but she wasn't going to allow herself to worry about that today. Today had been full enough of hurt and disappointment and fear. She didn't know what the F in his name stood for, but she came up with some creative curses to fill in the blanks in the meantime.

Maybe getting together with George again and letting her hair down so to speak was exactly what she needed.

She called George him back and made plans to get a late lunch in Santa Monica. She warned him in advance that water sports would be involved, that she had had a terrible meeting with Darcy and she expected his full participation. He readily agreed.

When George hung up the phone, he almost could not believe how easy this all was, or how easy Madame Gullible, Elizabeth Bennet was making it for him. George knew Darcy's private plane had already taken off –he had enough spies on Darcy's payroll who tipped him off when Darcy made a move.

What a pity Darcy would not have the chance to see him out to lunch with his precious Elizabeth again. Although Wickham thought maybe besting Darcy three times in one day was slightly excessive even for his own sweet taste of revenge. Why spoil all of the fun so early?

George made a point of subtly reiterating the statements he had made about Darcy to Beni over a casual bistro lunch on the Santa Monica promenade. Beni had a few moments of hesitation, where she almost couldn't believe that anyone so powerful could be so bad, or so evil, but after everything she had experienced with Darcy during the morning fresh in her mind, she allowed her own insecurities and frustrations cloud her normally sound judgment.

She pronounced Darcy to be a jerk of the first class. Deserving of no leniency and no chance for redemption in her mind. Not one to normally hold a grudge, her only real concern was about her business and her cash situation. She had banked her whole company and her professional success on this engine being in the water by the end of the week. Not it looked like years of work and sweat and toil were destroyed by a callous jerk without even a single look back.

Beni still hoped she could salvage her work on the Nemesis and avoid financial ruin from this mess, but she realized the likelihood was that the last time she would hear from F Darcy would be the text she had received earlier cancelling their much hyped 2PM meeting.

When George let it slip that Darcy had flown to Europe on his private jet, Beni was hard-pressed not to assume the worse. That he had evaded the charges and that he would leave them to face the music with regards to the drugs on their own.

Beni planned to call a lawyer the minute she finished hanging out with George and see what was to be done and salvaged from the situation. Lawyers and contracts were not her forte –and the more she thought about it, the more she came to despise Darcy for having put her into this situation and running away without first addressing her like an employee at the very least.

Feeling betrayed and utterly used, she excused herself from lunch early and went home. Unlike before, when she was upset that Charles had seemingly usurped her role as Jane's guardian, she now hoped Charles would still be there as she planned to grill him for any and all information she could about Darcy and his plans. Suing a private overseas company and expecting to recover any money was probably next to hopeless.

What a total disaster today had turned out to be!

It was time for yoga and chocolate. Or maybe yoga, ice cream and chocolate.

Maybe if she skipped the yoga and just went straight for the ice cream and chocolate, she could forget about that stupid kiss long enough to focus and make a plan.

Of course, the guy that apparently was hell-bent on ruining her entire life had to be a great kisser. Who was she kidding, that single kiss had turned her world upside-down. If she allowed herself a moment of honesty, no one had ever made her feel like that. EVER.

Anger, jealousy, rage, fear, confusion, embarrassment, passion –how could one selfish, arrogant guy make her feel all of those things in one short day?

Beni finally dragged herself home and checked on Jane who was not surprisingly still with Charles. She told Charles he was not allowed to leave until they talked, to which he seemed perfectly agreeable if a bit surprised at her request. Was it possible Charles was innocent to his friend's true character?

Honestly, Beni didn't have the emotional energy to even think about that a minute longer. She left Jane's room and headed straight for the freezer. Now, where the hell was the caramel almond fudge ice cream she kept for emergencies?

Elizabeth Bennet was about to throw the self pity party of the decade and that called for the really good ice-cream!


	18. Chapter 18: Jetsetter

In case you are still confused...I own nothing and I am still not Jane Austen. This board has gone quiet now that the seahorses have all apparently died or gone back to middle school. Review please, or I fear I have no incentive other than my own personal bucket list item of finishing a novel to continue and update. If you don't review, it may be months before I manage to finish this thing..but if you keep reviewing, my goal is to be finished by May or so!

**Chapter 18: Jetsetter**

Darcy boarded his jet worried about Gigi, pissed at Wickham and thinking about Elizabeth.

He was sorry to have to cancel their meeting for 2PM, but he had actually assumed she might not show anyway-especially if she was really hell bent on playing this cat and mouse game of "hard to get" with him.

What he had planned would have given them a chance to be alone and talk. Darcy wondered at his ability to feel so much for someone he had just met and had so few actual conversations with.

Of course, they had already had plenty of actual conversations in his mind, but very few where the words left his mouth and where Elizabeth was physically standing in front of him and not just in a dream.

As he sat down in the plush seat of his private jet cabin, his personal steward poured him a drink, asked him when he would like lunch and quietly went back to the staff area of the plane and shut the connecting door. He knew enough to know he should leave his employer to his thoughts. This was one of those times it was clear conversation was neither requested or required.

As the rest of his travelling entourage joined his steward in the staff area, Darcy spoke to the Captain on the intercom from his private sitting area.

"Vienna -immediately, let's stop to refuel in New York" "Also, make sure you stay in touch with our global security team and Gigi's bodyguards during the entire flight and update me with any changes"

"...going to try to sleep so I can be functional when we land...disturb me only for an emergency"...

They prepared for takeoff. Darcy took a large swallow of his drink.

Wickham would pay. He would pay for what he had done to Gigi.

After hanging up with Gigi, he had called his global head of security and practically ripped his ear off. After hiring another firm to chase and discover Wickham's true motives in LA, he gave his own in-house team 12 hours to fix the situation with Gigi in Europe and get things under control. He hated to fire people, and tried to be a loyal employer, but allowing Gigi to be hurt by that jerk again was simply not an option.

Sipping more of his drink to calm his nerves, Darcy found himself trying to force his brain and his body to relax, but he was completely unable to do so. Elizabeth filled his thoughts.

He suddenly remembered catching her outside at the Getty, in some strange pose, he thought was probably yoga.

Laughing to himself at the memory of how beautiful yet ridiculous she had looked in the moonlight, maybe it was still worth trying.

He took off his suit jacket, loosened his tie and took off his shoes. As he attempted her pose from memory, he found himself tumbling to the floor and erupting into easy laughter. Grateful no one could see him, he shut his eyes for a moment and thought about the last time a woman had made him really laugh.

While reflecting on the strange event, he was forced to recall further exactly how she had looked that night and was then anything but physically relaxed.

"Damn", he cursed to himself. This crazy woman was making his absolutely crazed!

He got up from the plush carpet floor and slumped into a leather sofa. Perhaps, he could find a YouTube video with yoga or exercises that would bore him to sleep.

Darcy he found himself wondering about the exact shade of Beni's eyes. Trying to recall them from memory, he closed his eyes again and breathed deeply as he had seen her do when facing a challenge.

Remembering the look of surprise in her eyes the moment before his lips had found hers in the passageway, it was hard to believe it was only a few hours ago.

It suddenly felt like a lifetime.

Her lips, that lithe body... her hair. Was a single kiss truly enough to base a lifetime of hopes on?

He knew the minute their lips had touched that he had never kissed anyone more sweet, and certainly no one more sincere. Elizabeth Bennet was about as real as it got.

Suddenly his thoughts about her warred with his sense that she was playing hard to get with him.

Still, there was no other possible explanation his mind would even consider. Of course she wanted him –who wouldn't or could possibly reject him? He had everything to give her and had made it clear how he felt towards her. Hadn't he?

What else could she possibly be looking for in a relationship? Nothing, obviously! Why he was even wasting his time considering that she wasn't playing a simple game of flirtation and seduction was beyond him.

Darcy shuddered in disgust when he mentally compared Elizabeth to his last girlfriend-if you could even call her a girlfriend. She was honest and forthright that she was mainly interested in the money, power and sex that came with being on his arm. He was honest enough to admit she was beautiful, satisfying and knew how to play hostess in an old fashioned European setting. Her charm and purpose ended there. She didn't challenge him, she didn't intrigue him and she was in no way natural or earthy-qualities he had never really considered as desirable until now.

Beni might have started out their kiss shy or surprised, but her passionate nature couldn't help but take over. He had known the exact moment she had given in to it. He felt her breath hitch and her body let go. The fire between them had almost engulfed him completely at that moment. How was he going to spend the next few weeks without her while he cleaned up another Wickham mess?

Taunting himself with memories of that kiss was ridiculous and now it was going to be impossible for him to go to sleep in his present state.

Thinking about how to solve his current problem, Darcy chided himself for not remembering that Skype was effective for many things. Using Video chat and some creative begging, he was pretty certain he wouldn't have to feel so disconnected to her being 8000 miles away until he could solve the Wickham problem once and for all.

Hell, if he really got desperate, he could just her from the plane, and give in to her game and they could start now.

He thought again about Gigi and her phone call and decided Elizabeth would be a good influence. His sister had suffered enough from Wickham and his machinations. Her Wickham laced past had caused Gigi to draw into herself even more than her shy nature had convinced her to before. If anyone could now draw her out, help her join the ranks of the free living once again, Darcy was certain it would be Elizabeth. Now he just had to make that meeting happen. Skype would not help Gigi in this case. Skyping with Elizabeth could not give her a hug, brush back her hair, make her tea or coax her back into going outside and joining society events again. All things he was certain would come to Elizabeth naturally after watching her with her own sister.

Suddenly, he saw it, or rather her, Elizabeth, on the deck of his Lake Como villa. He saw her on his boat. Saw her traipsing around the gardens and in the gazebo in her ridiculous purple shoes. Saw her lounging on the pool deck, and doing yoga on the lawn. Saw her wearing Chanel, his mother's favorite emerald necklace, and draped on his arm at their annual summer charity event. Saw her in his bedroom, lying in his bed, calling him with her coy smile to join her. Saw her waking up in the morning in his arms, silky tresses surrounding him in a cocoon of her warmth.

"Hell!" -He had never had mental pictures of any of the women he had dated in the past. Certainly not involving his beloved mothers' jewelry or waking up with them in his arms.

Maybe he should just call her and grovel already? They could have some fun with Skype on the plane and she could help him get to sleep so he could function in the morning when he finally got to Gigi.

Dialing, he took a deep breath and tried to think of something clever to say so he didn't sound like a complete idiot.

"Elizabeth?"

"Yes?" she croaked into the phone. She hadn't looked at the caller ID, but found herself and her phone curled up on her couch from a sugar coma induced afternoon nap.

"Would you do some of your yoga magic with me via video chat so I can fall asleep?" "I had to fly to Europe suddenly to help my little sister?" "She's in serious trouble!"

Before she even knew what she was saying, she heard him add a very quiet, and very tender "please?"

"p-lease Elizabeth?" –she heard it again.

Something in his voice was different.

Pausing before launching at him into a tirade on the spot about Wickham, his unbelievably unprofessional behavior and all of her fears about their business relationship, she found herself almost inexplicably saying yes to him.

She cleared her throat and her brain from sleep and told him in a no nonsense yoga teacher voice to grab some casual, loose fitting clothes, change out of his suit and call her back on Skype video chat in 5 minutes.

She hung up and quickly ran round her apartment. She was wiping under her eyes, tidying things up, changing into her favorite yoga pants and a long yoga shirt (to cover her mutilated stomach while she stretched) and got out her favorite yoga mat. She grabbed ice water and drew her hair back into a messy bun.

After making sure she didn't look like the defeated rat she felt like and that her apartment was relatively organized, she sat and waited for him to call her back.

She allowed herself a moment to wonder what in the world was wrong with her? Why had she said yes and maybe more importantly, what happened to his sister?

Apparently, it was just one more completely bizarre event of the day to add to her growing list.

She heard her phone buzzing and saw it was Darcy calling her back.

"Breathe, Beni, just breathe" she calmly told herself before she went to answer it.

Answering her phone with video turned on, she saw Darcy in a tee shirt and what looked like boxer shorts. Staring at her sheepishly as he said "thanks, Elizabeth. I really appreciate this..."

Oh Lord, there was absolutely no way she was going to keep her breathing steady now...


	19. Chapter 19: Revealed

**Howzit lovely readers?!**

**Lovely reviews and lots of them, so thanks again. Please keep reviewing and sharing your thoughts...it really helps me write and I appreciate criticism and questions...there is no need to be nice every time!**

**My very special thanks to the lovely RedHead who is my new source of plot and inspiration. Long live the modern ladies of modesty and decorum!**

**I hope y'all enjoy this! The writing is actually harder than it seems.**

**~Lady M**

* * *

**Chapter 19: Revealed**

Beni thought to relax Darcy with some simple stretches and breathing techniques and then quickly get off the phone. Why she had such a soft heart and had even agreed to this was still a mystery. But she had said yes, and Beni Bennet never backed down from a commitment.

After pondering her situation for a moment, she came to understand that it was actually a perfect opportunity to subtly ask him the burning questions surrounding their present situation in a more relaxed setting and she intended to take advantage of the situation and of him as he had of her.

None of that melded well with the goals of a true yoga teacher, but since her real career and her financial future were wrapped up tightly within this man's grasp, she had no choice but to plod forward and face the conflict she felt rather than letting go and helping him out of pure _Namaste_ goodness she normally felt for her students.

Darcy was good at deep even breathing. Not surprising, he was also quite nimble as she walked him through entry poses and sequences. He also seemed to be calming down.

_Aha, great point to ask him something_, Beni thought to herself...now the only question was _what?_ From a deep pigeon pose, Beni found herself asking him if he was enjoying himself.

_Duh, men never enjoy pigeon pose that was a bad question_. _OK, think Elizabeth, talk to the man about something_! _This is your chance. Stop thinking about how sexy he looks in his t-shirt. F-O-C-U-S!_

She managed to spit out _"Where is your assistant? Did she not travel back with you?"_

It had sounded more like an interrogation than a simple question. Damn, what was wrong with her? Why did this guy tie her in knots?

Darcy:_"Um, yes, of course, but she is in the staff cabin. I prefer some privacy when I fly. You didn't think I would wear a t-shirt and boxers in front of my staff –did you?"_

Beni: _"a-e-i-oh-i-ah-No, of course not. A private jet? That seems like such a waste of fuel and has such a large carbon footprint."_

_"I'm sorry, I forgot myself and who I was talking to. Please, PLEASE forget I said that. "_

Before Darcy could respond Beni stated quietly: _"Downward dog please."_

Darcy: _"What?"_

Beni:_ "Downward dog"_

Darcy: _"Elizabeth, seriously, I must not be hearing you correctly."_

Elizabeth: _"Make yourself into a downward dog. Come out of pigeon and move into downward dog. Just like this..."_

As Elizabeth moved into her pose. Her shirt snagged and rode up. Leaving most of her burned stomach exposed to his camera view. Not realizing for a minute why his expression seemed to change, she quickly pulled down her shirt and shifted positions.

Looking away from the camera, she thought to herself G_reat, now on top of everything else; the man is going to think I'm a freak. Or worse, pity me and treat me weird. Elizabeth, _she chides to herself_, you just royally screwed this up._

Darcy hadn't said anything, so maybe she could just pass it by and ignore the elephant trotting through their video call.

Darcy's phone, which he had propped up so he could see her and do yoga suddenly, buzzes to indicate he had another call. Beni takes a deep breath and tells Darcy she understands he has to go and hangs up her line before he can say anything.

Darcy answers the other call when he sees it is Charles.

"_Charles –what do you need?"_

"_Wow, Darce, nice greeting for your favorite friend...what's your problem today?"_

"_Do I really need to remind you how I saved your hide just a few hours ago from being locked away as an international drug lord?"_

"_Charles, not now, -OK? I need to get back to Beni. She was on the phone and helping me with something when you called."_

Charles: _"Yeah, what is that about? Beni locked us in Jane's room and told us not to come out. Not that I mind, mind you –I'm out on the balcony, she fell asleep."_

"_Darce-you know, I think she, and I mean I think Jane is the one."_

Darcy: _"Charles, hang on, what are you on about? You have known the girl for less than 72 hours. She is the one of the week maybe, she is not __**the**__ one."_

Charles: _"well, I, um, I mean, I thought..."_

Darcy: _"Seriously Charles, you thought nothing. Well, not with your head anyway. She is beautiful, I'll give you that, but don't you think her attention and affection is a bit mercenary and convenient?" _

"_Listen Charles, I want to talk to you more about this but just promise me you won't put a ring on her finger or do anything else incredibly stupid until I can call you back later-O-K?" _

Charles walked back in from the patio connected to Jane's room. He had not realized that Beni had been out on her patio trying to calm herself down from her latest Darcy encounter and they shared a wall. She had heard the entire conversation.

Darcy called Elizabeth back. She finally answered on the 4th ring after starring at her phone and wondering like an idiot what to do. Of course, throwing the phone against the wall had occurred to her, but she realized it probably would not help her anger. Speaking to him directly and really giving it to him would though.

She answered without allowing him to even say hello...

"_Darcy, I'm sorry, I really can't spare any more time today." _

"_Elizabeth has something ..."_

"_No, but I really have to go. Actually, no, you know what, something did happen..._

_You screwed me and my family today in every possible way. In addition to that, George couldn't help but explain to me what I could expect from being associated with you going forward. Please forgive me for not wanting to be a lap bunny that you have at your beck and call to help you relax. I was trying to offer an olive branch after what happened before I left the boat today, but what you just did to Jane, was well, entirely unacceptable in every way_

_Please, don't call me. Ever. Keep the boat, the engine. Keep all of it. I'll finance myself out of this without your help." _

"_Elizabeth please wa-a-a-a-ait."_

That was all she heard-all she allowed herself to hear of his sniveling attempt at some ridiculous apology as she tapped the screen to hang up on him. She added his number to her blocked caller list and considered the matter closed.

Now she knew for absolute certain that her day absolutely could not get any worse. Her career was ruined, her engine was lost and she would have to default on her loans. Perhaps she would agree to crew on that America's Cup boat after all?

Darcy had seen the fire in her eyes as she again, completely misunderstood him. He had also seen what looked like the ravages of fire on her delicate skin. What was that about? What had happened to her? No doubt this must be the reason she was so fast at forming the wrong conclusions. Neither her anger at him nor the blistered and puckered skin he has seen on her stomach repulsed him in any way. In fact, he felt himself even more drawn to her. Once she understood everything, he was certain they would fit. They would cleave to one another in the most natural way possible. He wanted that fire and her impertinent demeanor in his life. Even if it meant he had to put up with her stubborn pride to get it.

Darcy wasted no time in calling Charles back, he told him what had happened with Gigi and instructed him to get on the next plane to Vienna to join them and help him sort this situation out. If Charles was upset about having missed the private jet, Elizabeth didn't hear that. She did hear him saying goodbye to Jane. He sounded sincere when he spoke to her, but then, he just agreed with Darcy to fly to Europe at the drop of a hat–still maybe it was just Darcy that was so full of crap he couldn't see outside of his own head.

Elizabeth watched Charles leave their apartment and even watched him as he walked outside. Letting her anger out at Darcy had been cathartic, and she felt better, but she only afterwards realized that her only hope of getting out of the financial mess she had just placed herself in, had just left her line of site and she hadn't even had guts to bring it up or ask him. The last 20 minutes had been almost surreal. She watched the vents unfold, but was too frozen in her own internal conversation to do much more than mumble a goodbye as he fled the scene and left her alone with Jane. Both of them to their thoughts.

Grovel to Darcy to have him pay her invoices? Not a chance. She would happily rot in debtor prison before she asked that man for a single dollar of what he owed her...


	20. Chapter 20: Glow

OK peeps. 450 people read my last chapter. 4 people left comments. That is just mean. So I've been nicey, nicey about it until now, but here is the deal. **This is the last chapter until more people review**. At least 10 people have to review Chapter 20 before I will upload Chapter 21. And when you get to the GLOWy part, you'll realize you want to read 21...so pony up, click the REVIEW button and share your thoughts. Good, bad, ugly, whatever, just share. Otherwise, I'm going to abandon this and assume no one cares. Beni and her purple Crocs will be devastated and probably even cry. Don't let Beni cry, post a review now!

Jane Austen would be horrified, but because of that, luckily P&P is still 100% hers and not mine.

* * *

**Chapter 20: GLOW**

Elizabeth went to check on her sister after Charles had left their apartment.

Jane picked up her eyes drowsily and asked Lizzie if everything was OK. She patted the space next to her on the bed –a natural invite to come and chat as they always did before bed.

Lizzie fell onto Jane's bed unsure of what to say or think. The last 24 hours had been a complete whirlwind of events and she was not sure where to start, or even if to start.

She nodded her head that things were fine and instead determined to find out from Jane what was happening with Charlie.

Liz: "So, you and Charles, whats the story there exactly?"

Jane: "Liz, you know I really, really like him. But today was just such a mess. Do you think he feels the same way about me? He left here saying he would call me know how these things usually go, they tell you they care about you and then they disappear. I'm not going to let him break my heart, so let's see if he calls and what happens..."

Liz: "Jane, but where where you last night? With him? You don't do casual, um, sex, Jane. I was soooo worried about you."

Jane: "Liz, it wasn't like that and you know it. I slept at his hotel, not in his bed. He was the perfect gentleman. Speaking of perfect gentleman, let's talk about Darcy. Liz, the man was tripping on his feet over you!"

Liz: "What in the world are you talking about? The man is a jerk of the first order. He totally messed up my life today and for all I know he has an international drug ring running in the background."

Jane: "Wait, Liz, do you really mean that? Are you sure you have all the facts. Nothing that I saw of his behavior or actions seems to resonate with what you are saying."

Liz: "Jane, and then then I had coffee with this sweet guy I literally ran into when I left the dock and he also knows Darcy and confirmed everything I said. He also told me even more about Darcy was like to his family and people around him. He is just like I expect him to be. Rich, proud, and indifferent to the little people he squash with no thought to get what he wants and he thinks he deserves!"

"Jane, you do understand how much money he owes me right, and that my business is going to tank if he doesn't pay me. I got released from the boat, but I'm a suspected drug smuggler right now. Not exactly the way to get a new job is it?"

"I mean, maybe everyone was right? Maybe I'm not cut off to run my own firm. Maybe I should have sold out like everyone else and been building stupid tiny cellphone batteries for smartphones and tablets."

"Uggh, I hate this. Why is my entire future married to this jerk. I promised myself I would never be beholden to a guy, and here I am, beholden."

"I'm probably going to have to agree to crew the boat Collins keeps trying to foist on me, just to keep being able to pay my share of the rent. I put so many parts onto my credit cards thinking Darcy would pay those invoices...but I'll have to worry about what I can worry about for now and be practical."

"Should I practice my humble apology to poor cousin Colin or should I just surprise him and gush like a girly fan and suck up to him to get the job? Oh, the possibilities on this one are really endless."

"Listen Jane, I have to run and make some calls and sort things out, but text me if you need anything ok. I won't leave, I'll just be in the living room. You should probably try to get some sleep. You have to go to work tomorrow morning don't you?"

Jane stared at her sister, now in frenzy mode and nodded. She knew better than to interrupt Elizabeth when she got like this. This is how her sister handled herself in a crisis and that was fine. She did't think her sister had all of the facts about Darcy, but she was too tired and too doped up on paid meds to really concentrate on that right now. It would also be much better to think about the kiss she had just shared with Charles before she left than Liz and her love life, or lack their of. Lizzy could absolutely wait until tomorrow...

Just then, she saw her phone buzz with a text from Charles.

_****Flying2 Europe urgently, will be in touch, feel good & take care, Charles**_

Jane stared at her phone for a few minutes. Was that the biggest brush off in history? It sure felt like it.

Maybe Darcy and his friend Charles were exactly as Liz has said. Fakers who were interested in just one thing before moving on. Jane was more glad than ever that nothing had actually happened in his hotel room last night. Still, it hurt. She had really liked him and thought he had liked her. No, he absolutely had liked her, she was sure of it. No doubt, he had been poisoned by his ridiculous friend Darcy just as Liz had speculated.

Now the only thing she had to show for a crazy weekend was a bump on her head, a headache and a drug induced hangover.

Liz was apparently right, this weekend had totally sucked. Jane wondered how she could transfer Charles' fund at the museum to another curator and how she could stay as far away from him and his families money and sickening influence and behavior at the Getty in the future.

In the meantime...

Liz left Jane's room to call her annoying cousin, Bill Collins and used her sweet girl voice and attitude. Acting as if she hadn't been blowing him off every single time she had spoke to him in the last 5 years made her want to vomit, but so did her car being repossessed and Beni Bennet was a woman on a mission. Bill felt like king of the mountain when Liz easily agreed to join his crew.

He did however have to give her the sad news that while he would be happy to have her, Chase had already agreed to come on board as the team lead. She would be co-captain, maybe if Chase agreed, but the top spot now belonged to Chase as she had waited too long to give her answer. Beni swallowed her pride and asked how much Bill would be paying and got the rest of the details.

Since her engine business was currently locked up with the DEA, she knew she didn't have much of a choice. She acquiesced and decided to call Chase and let him gloat. It didn't matter what had happened until now, or even that they both knew that Beni was the better sailor. If Chase was the Captain, she would suck it up and give him the respect and deference he deserved and commanded.

Heck, maybe this would give them the chance to just hang out and clear all of the weirdness from their relationship that had slowly crept in over the past few months. Maybe he would finally explain whatever it was that had clearly been eating away at him, but he hadn't yet felt comfortable enough to discuss with her. She hoped so. She really missed and at this point really needed her best friend back.

Beni: "Chase?"

Chase: "Beni?"

Beni: "Yes, Chase, I assume you saw it was me calling, who else would be suing my phone?"

Chase: "Yeah sweetheart I do..., I did, I mean I, um..."

Beni: "Sweetheart? Chase, are you drunk?"

Chase: "Maybe, yes, no, is there a right answer here?"

Beni: laughing, "It is only 3 in the afternoon, can I ask why?"

Chase: "Well, I just got a contract to captain the Lady Anne for the America's Cup. Wouldn't you drink to that?"

Beni: "Well, yes, I would. Where are you? I want to come too!"

Chase: "You do?"

Beni: "Hell yes, _**we**_ have a lot to celebrate."

Chase: "We do?"

Beni: "Yes Chase, we do."

Chase: "Well, like what?"

Beni: "Well, like the fact that we're going to be together on this?"

Chase: "Liz, what exactly are you saying?"

Beni: "I'm saying, I said yes."

Chase: "Liz, I didn't ask you yet, I was so scared... I thought I was too late."

Beni: "Chase, you are my oldest and closest friend. It will never be too late. I will always make time for us. And given everything that happened today, I knew this was finally right."

Chase: "Liz, I can't believe it. I don't know what to say."

Beni: "Don't say anything, just tell me where you are so I can come and be with you."

Chase: "I'm at Glow. Since I got you your first fake ID, this is where we drink, so I kinda expect you know where it is. I'm gonna stop rambling. Liz, I'm waiting for you. Come, soon. Come now. Just come OK? I'm here and soon I'll be here with you. That will be a lot better."

Beni: "OK, my drunken sailor boy, I'll be there soon, let me just make sure Jane is OK and I'll come over."

Chase: "You are such a good sister."

Beni:"No, I'm not, you dork. Just go back to the crew, I'll see you soon." " Bye Chase."

Liz didn't hear the part where Chase said "_I love you_" in response before he hung up the phone and waited like a silly teenager for the girl he loved more than anything to come and find him.

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Do not move. Do not pass Go. Do not collect 200 dollars. Do not hit the browser button or navigate away from this page. First, please leave a review and then you may depart on your internet travels...


	21. Chapter 21: High

Wow, apparently, I don't write humor really well in these intro summaries. Truly sorry for anyone who got offended by the last one!

To ES –I absolutely hate writing. In fact, I hate it so much, I decided to post my writing on a fanfiction website and beg people for reviews, just to torture myself to the maximum possible extend with no perceived gain. WHY exactly would I do that? And yes, I do thank you for making me LOL.

Really, I requested reviews because I just wanted to hear from some of you about things you like/dislike or don't understand. If you don't want to review, don't review. If you hate what I write, please just don't blame me!

So I'll keep writing...as long as you keep reading. An occasional review wouldn't hurt so I know you are a human and not just a Google bot or whatever reading the updates...

As Jane Austen turned up and pitched a complete hissy fit over the last Chapter (in my dreams), I won't even bother begging her for creative license with this one. Sorry in advance to the purists out there...this might hurt a bit, but like a BandAid that must be ripped off, it will be over pretty quickly...(or maybe not says the woman with the evil plot twists)

10 reviews in 4 hours...so here it is, as promised, the next Chapter!

Thanks for all of the love and encouragement and the flowers you keep sending. I really love the flowers...

Lady M

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**Chapter 21: High**

As she drove back down to the Marina to meet Chase and the rest of the crew at their old hangout, Glow, Liz was pretty convinced things were going to be OK. Ok, she wasn't yet convinced, but she was trying really damn hard to convince herself.

Admittedly, she might not win an award for her cutting edge engine design and business wise, and she was still under the impression it would take her a while to pay off her debts, but she had her youth, her health, her sense of humor, really good friends and a fun job for the next 6 months. Not someone who ever did things without a plan, a backup plan and a backup to the backup plan, spending the next 6 month on the water and part of a team with Chase wasn't really so bad. Scary as hell, YES, but not so bad. Doable, conquerable, survivable, livable, workable. She would do this and she would be happy. And if she wasn't, she would make herself be happy.

She further reasoned it would give her time to sort out her feelings about her future, hang out with Chase before one of them ended up having to leave the other for an eventual real job somewhere. Chase was a solid in her life. A friend she could count on no matter what, but the next 6 months with him were a gift, and she would use them wisely. Maybe she could salvage some of her engine plans, or maybe she could think about sailboat designs instead of yachts. Afterall, they still had motors and occasionally ran on engine power to and from the docks to race start locations. All was not lost. She was a survivor and she would be OK.

As she parked her car near Glow, she got a text from George. With everything that had happened, she had almost forgot she had texted him from the boat when she thought maybe he could help her with the Darcy situation.

"Sry I msed u b4, whats up?"

She didn't know why, but as she stared at it, she got annoyed. She had texted him hours ago when she thought she was on the way to being imprisoned for drug smuggling. He hadn't answered her, or offered to help. Now he was answering hours later as if she hadn't explained a MAJOR CRISIS to him and he had gone silent.

In the words of her little sister Lydia, this was a moment where you just say "whatever". Being ignored by a guy was nothing new to her. Being ignored by a hot guy was certainly not news. It stung, but no more than everything else weirdly bizarre that had happened with Darcy thinking she was Caroline today, kissing her and then dissing her right after that.

For now, it was time to get drunk, with her best friend and forget everything else. The last 24 hours were not something she wanted to spend tonight reflecting on. Not tonight, not ever.

Glow was packed, which was usual for a game night, but she couldn't immediately see Chase. She hopped over to the bar to get herself a drink. She stood waiting for the bartender to notice her. She normally came here with the guys and just got a beer that she nursed most of the night. So when he gave her attention over all of the dolled up beauty queens around, she stammered out her request. "Long Island". He smiled at her and asked her if she was "living dangerously" tonight?

She smiled and said –"felt like a good time to try something new."

Drink in hand, not noticing anyone in particular, she was walking around when she finally saw one of the members of the Nemesis crew. He smiled when he saw her and grabbed her hand. More friendly than normal, and whispered into her ear that Chase had been "looking for her".

As he led her over to the rest of the crew, they are seemed to have the stupidest smiles plastered on each of their faces and they wouldn't stop staring at her. She stood on her tiptoes looking for Chase as he didn't seem to be with them and as much as she felt like just one of the guys with the crew, standing around and drinking in silence with 8 grinning guys surrounding her was feeling more than a little creepy.

As she was looking around, Chase seemed to magically appear between two of them and after spinning his head around to match his feet suddenly spotted her as well.

Beni realized he was completely drunk. More wasted than she had ever seen him in fact, and they had spent a lot of time in this bar over the years. Chase had beautiful eyes, that lit up when he registered that she had arrived. She smiled back and the rest of the crowd seemed to fade away. As he approached her, he suddenly didn't know what to say.

He had waited such a long time for this to happen and he actually couldn't believe she was really here, for him.

Beni was staring at Chase trying to follow his movements, worried that at any second, he was going to just topple over and pass out. She grabbed for him as he stumbled towards her. He managed to wrap his arms around her as he heard her yelling at his crew over letting him get this drunk.

They shrugged their shoulders and told her he still couldn't believe it and was too excited waiting for her and it went to his head.

She shouted back "Thanks guys, good to know he can count on you" with a dripping amount of sarcasm as she led him to a nearby stool. Contemplating how she was going to get him home, she realized he was so high he was sniffing her hair.

Trying to be funny she asked him if he smelled something he liked.

He looked at her, really looked at her at that moment. She had no makeup on, her hair was piled up on her head and her eyes were shining. She stared back at him as if she was really seeing him for the first time.

Chase knew this was his moment. He would kiss her and she would be his. He leaned in to kiss her, but changing his equilibrium at that moment, as plastered as he was, had not been the smartest idea. Before he knew what came over him, he threw up all over both of them instead.

Beni looked at her best friend, and unsure but somewhat convinced they had been about to have a moment right before he threw up, realized that she had almost been kissed by accident for the second time today and that she was now covered with vomit and in charge of taking care of a drunk guy who was twice her weight and at least 6 inches taller than she was.

PERFECT end to the craziest day ever!

Her laughter came out quickly, in short bursts. Chase was mortified. He looked at her for just a moment before hanging his head down in shame. He quickly got up and made for the front of the bar. He needed to get out of here. Luckily, Beni had the same idea, grabbed his hand and led him out onto the street. She looked down at both of them and ushered Chase towards her car. Grabbed a garbage bag out of the back in case he planned a repeat performance and turned to him and said –"your place, OK?" "Jane is already recovering at home at mine..."

Arriving at his house way too soon for his liking, Chase wanted a chance to fix things with Beni in the car. The silence was weird, and awkward and he just wished he could kiss her again-but he had vomit mouth and that was just simply out of the question for a first kiss.

As she pulled up out front, she double parked and helped Chase out of the car, got his keys out of his back pocket and opened his door. He still lived in a cute boho house in Venice just a few streets over from her apartment. She ran around picking his stuff up quickly as she went. He was still a slob, but an endearing one and she loved him for it. She got him a glass of water, tylenol, PJs and pillow and directed him towards his room. He had stood there in a sort of drunk stupor while she ran around putting his stuff away and grabbing things he needed. It had felt like an hour with him standing there watching her, but she knew she hadn't been inside more than 3 minutes. He shuffled into his room and sat down on his bed and reached for her.

Assuming whatever had happened at the bar has been a drunken mistake on his part, she scooted closer, kissed his forehead and pushed him onto the bed. She deftly scooted herself away from him and blew him a kiss from the door. Her last words as she passed through the doorway were... "Chase, that was the worst date ever, but I still love you" I'll talk to you tomorrow" and she quickly left.

Beni assumed Chase would forget about the attempted kiss by the morning and the whole thing would just blow over. She convinced herself there was no real drama between the two of them as she drove back to her apartment and was determined to make it so.

For a woman who never got kissed, she had certainly gotten her fair share of male attention today, even though all of it had of course fizzled out in less than 24 hours.

Meanwhile, Chase assumed he and Beni were officially dating and tonight was just the beginning. So he had screwed it up by getting drunk. Still, they now had the next 6 months crewing together to figure it out. Correction, he would officially be her Captain. She was going to be working for him and be at his beck and call. This was turning out way better than he had ever imagined.

They both fell asleep easily, but for entirely different reasons.

Over in Europe, Darcy was just waking up on his private jet and would soon be landing in an entirely new version of Wickham based hell.


	22. Chapter 22 FAST

Apparently, I broke fanfiction last time I uploaded. Because I uploaded two chapters within a few hours of each other, the story didn't update correctly. Hence, if you missed it, make sure you go back and catch Chapter 21: High which was uploaded just a few hours after Chapter 20: Glow.

That was my reward for the amazing reviewers who answered my call to humanity to identify themselves as non bots and actual humans. A favorite or a follow to the story doesn't hurt either (just a suggestion)

This is now Chapter 22...so don't get confused. If you skip from Chapter 20: Glow, straight to here...you might be confused, and I personally hate being confused. (So go back and read 21:High before you continue here, or you will spend the next few weeks feeling like you missed something big and well, pretty messy (which you indeed did, if you skipped) )

Also, I am undecided about the dialog. Do you love the labeling or hate it? A few people told me they were getting confused, so I added it. Then one reviewer told me she hated it and it made it unreadable for her. I figured Shakespeare labeled so I was in good company, but maybe I was wrong. I took it out here.

Feedback on that would be appreciated! Label the dialog, or leave it to you to figure it out?

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**Chapter 22: Fast**

Waking up today Elizabeth Bennet felt emotionally hangover. Her dreams had certainly been the strangest she could ever remember. Then again, as she allowed herself another moment to cocoon in her down comforter, she realized the day preceding her dreams had been the strangest of her life, so it made perfect sense that her mind was still trying to process everything that had happened in just 24 hours.

In one particular dream, she had definitely been with Darcy. Weird, because unlike the real live version, it had not left her feeling bereft or angry. He had been gentle and warm. Comforting and strangely peaceful. Dreams were like that though, she quickly reminded herself. Totally disconnected from reality. The simple reality was that Darcy was a complete jerk.

She grumbled as she looked at her watch, realized it was already 5:30 AM and it was time to face the day, Beni Bennet style.

After throwing off the covers and greeting the gloomy mist outside, she finished her regular perfunctory morning routine, she grabbed her phone, changed into yoga pants and a hoodie, slipped on socks, grabbed her crocs and headed out the front door as quietly as she could. Jane would be up in an hour and she wanted to make sure she was back by then to check on her before they both officially started their work day. She unlocked her bike and rode along the boardwalk to her favorite spot by the pier. Here, she practiced yoga on the beach when she didn't have time to get on the water. Sometimes she had students, sometimes she was alone, and sometimes randoms would see her practicing and join her.

She didn't do it for the money or the attention, she did it, because she needed the waves and the sounds of the ocean to calm her and bring her back to her center. She unrolled her yoga mat, slipped on her shoes, found the hard packed sand where the tide had recently gone out and proceeded to start stretching. After a few minutes, she noticed she had some randoms who had stopped to join her.

An older couple, that looked to be about 60 and a young guy she knew from the neighborhood. 10 minutes later, another young girl from the neighborhood had joined them and the older couple was groaning a bit and decided to sit out the rest of her practice, taking up seats staring at the surf near Beni's collection of gear.

Just as Beni went into a handstand pose, her phone started to ring. Fearing it was Jane, she asked the older woman if she could answer it. She did and Liz was already dreading having to leave early to return to her sister. She asked the woman if it was Jane on the phone. The woman said no.

Next, the woman asked her what her plans were for next Tuesday. Elizabeth for whatever reason assumed it was a friend that must have called, and so told the woman to tell the person she would call them back, but that she would be leaving shortly for America's Cup training and would do her best to get back to them before she left. Almost as an afterthought, she asked the woman who was actually on the phone. Somewhat sheepishly, the woman said the caller asked her not to say.

Now Liz was annoyed. Who was on the phone? She got down from her pose, as her concentration was shattered anyway. Grabbed the phone from the woman and said: "Hi, this is Beni, who is this?"

It's Darcy. Before you hang up, you need to listen to me. Please. Just listen.

Why should I?

Please. Elizabeth, I just need 5 minutes.

5 exactly?

Yes, 5 exactly, you can time me.

I plan on it. I've got a few people I'm doing yoga with right now. Can I call you back?

Only if you promise to actually call me back. OK, but I don't have your number anymore. Hey wait, how did this call even come through?

Well, I might have cheated and bought a burn phone just so I could call you.

Darcy, you are sounding more and more like a drug lord every minute. I suggest you shut up before I again refuse to call you back."

"Good point, call me in half an hour, I'll be waiting to hear from you. I'm also warning you now that I'll buy 10 more anonymous phones and harass you nonstop if you don't call me back."

"Ok, I understand, you are the all powerful international banking scion of Switzerland, and I am poor little Beni Bennet who designs boat engines for a living. I'll call you and you'll get your remaining 4 and a half minutes, but now I have to run."

"Wait, why did I just lose 30 seconds?"

"You had 5, we are down to 4 and a half, don't push me."

It sounded like he quietly said, "How I wish I was there with you", but it also could have been her imagination, since the waves were still crashing behind her and she had been struggling to hear him through their call anyway.

Her entourage was looking at her curiously.

She hung up and threw her phone onto her hoodie, then turned to her crew and said sheepishly,

"Sorry everyone, now where were we?"

She quickly took a few calming breaths and refocused herself to start the next sequence of poses.

What was it about speaking to William Darcy that made her feel like an awkward, gangly 16 year old girl again with braces and bad hair? She had been able to calm her breathing, but her mind was still racing. She didn't know what they would be speaking about, but she was honest enough with herself to admit that as much as she hated him, he still made her edgy in a way no other man ever had.

Beni finished her yoga and was surprised to see another vague and frankly annoying text from George. She had almost forgotten about him after everything that had happened yesterday. While she did plan to call Darcy back in a few minutes, she decided she didn't really want to have anything to do with George. Darcy was a necessary evil due to the their work situation, but the less she had to do with Darcy connected people, the better she decided.

For the first time in a long time, she was not going to play the good girl. She was going to simply ignore his efforts to get in touch with her and play dumb. It would be a new role for her and one she was secretly kind of excited about.

She finished her impromptu yoga session, said goodbye to her scraggly group of students and then determined to steel herself mentally for her forthcoming discussion with Darcy.

To do that, she decided coffee was probably in order. She knew a quiet place which would be open and would still give her time to get home to see Jane. She grabbed her coffee, sat outside on one of the cold benches and called Darcy back. She hadn't been paying attention and had called him back with video. Surprisingly, after the whole fuss he had made about her not calling him back, he didn't answer.

Not sure what to do or what message he was trying to send her, she decided on the spur of the moment to leave him a funny video message. She sat on the cold ground near her table, got into frog pose, and propped up her phone. She then said "Darcy, this is Yogi Beni" "your homework and immediate punishment for avoiding my calls, is that you have to promise to do yoga twice a week for the next month in order to address your temper issues and when you have calmed down, you are welcome to call me back."

With that she hung up. She wished she could be there when he watched her message. Temper issues...the man would probably be boiling at her.

Elizabeth still had a lot to do today. She needed to sign a contract with her cousin, make travel plans, pack and she wanted to speak to Chase. She also wanted to check on Jane and make sure things were ok before she left. She would be sending money back each month to pay her share of rent and utilities, but she was hoping she could find someone to sublet to offset some of those costs –of course only if Jane said it was OK. She also wanted to find out more about how Jane and Charles had left things and when he would be coming back.

Arriving at home a little past 6:40, Beni was upset to realize she had missed her sister who seemed to have already left for work. In the meantime, she sent text messages to Jane, Collins and to Chase. As she didn't expect to hear back from anyone quickly, she started to get undressed to take a shower and walk into her bathroom.

Of course, at that exact moment, her phone rang and changed, when her phone rang. She picked it up in the middle of taking her shirt off.

"Damn" she cursed to herself, she had such bad timing. She also managed to get herself and her phone caught in her shirt. Adding insult to injury, she also had managed to answer her call with video, which she had not realized.

"Elizabeth?"

"Um, Darcy, what the heck. What?...Where are you?"

"Well, to be perfectly honest, I know where I am...but what I don't know is what exactly I'm looking at?"

"Wait, WHAT, you can see me?"

"Well, technically, yes, I mean no, I mean, I'm now looking the other way."

Hearing this, Elizabeth Bennet broke. When not figuratively, but emotionally, she had had enough. The events of the last two days had left her spent and empty. Forgetting everything she starting to talk to herself:

"Holy mother of...is there just no way I can retain the smallest amount of self-respect or privacy around this guy? How many times am I going to show him my burns before he stops talking to me out of disgust altogether? Worse, I just showed the man who used to be my boss the inside of my shirt because I'm apparently not coordinated enough to take it off properly. Are you freaking kidding me?"

"Um, Elizabeth, I'm not looking, but I am still on the phone."

"I know that, or rather I knew that, but I figured if you thought I was completely crazy, maybe you would just hang up and leave me alone?"

...Silence...

"So is it working?"

If not, I want to be fair and remind you that now have exactly 3 minutes left to listen to me humiliate myself before I hang up

"No, it didn't work. That idea was a complete failure."

"Well Mr. Darcy, good to know, one more thing I'm a total failure at."

"By the way, are you keeping a list? How many is that so far? Are you able to legally fire me yet for gross negligence and incompetence?"

"Elizabeth, what on earth are you talking about?"

"We both know what I'm talking about. As I am sure Chase has made you aware, most of the drugs were apparently found in engine compartment areas of the Nemesis. And while I could swear to you from now until tomorrow that I had nothing to do with it, I have no doubt that you have no interest in putting your faith into a woman who is just starting out. I would appear to have too much to gain, and you of course have too much to lose."

"Elizabeth, that is completely not why I called."

"But it is what you are thinking, is it not?"

"Elizabeth, can we possibly stay on topic for once?"

"Well, since I don't know what the topic is that we are in fact supposed to be discussing, that might be somewhat difficult for me!"

"I can't be the first person to tell you that you are completely infuriating, right?!"

"Does this mean I'm officially fired? Will you be sending me paperwork. Maybe I can still get unemployment that way..."

"Elizabeth, please just stop talking. You are starting to sound like a nervous wreck."

"Well, I am a nervous wreck."

"May I inquire as to exactly why that is, or will you perceive that as prying?"

"Did you know that you speak English like a man from 1890?"

"Elizabeth, you are simultaneously stalling and using up all of my minutes, and yes, I am aware that I speak eloquently. Glad to see my years at private school were not completely wasted."

"OK, so you have 2 minutes left. Why did you call me? I'm sure you didn't intend to spend your precious time minutes quizzing me about my seemingly never ending social dilemmas, helping me make a fool of myself in front of you, or better yet because your wanted a chance to stare at my grotesque stomach again."

"Elizabeth" -this was said with as much calm and thought as he could muster.

Into the silence she interjected "1 minute and 45 seconds left..."

"Oh, OK, well, um, I, I mean what I mean to say is..."

"Minute and half to go here"

"Dammit Elizabeth, please stop counting down the time"

"1 minute and I truly expected a man educated in the very best private schools the world has to offer to be able to express himself much more eloquently."

"I just wanted to update you that my security team is working with the local authorities and they think they have a lead on the drugs and can prove the whole thing was a set-up. We should be able to defend you, Chase and the entire crew easily and prove the drugs were put on board and things were manipulated so we would take the fall. I also wanted to apologize for the entire situation and assure you that I was sorry it had happened and that I was, I mean I am, doing everything in my power to protect you, and Chase and the rest of the crew and resolve this. Also, as you appear to be under financial strain, there is no need to worry that your invoices to FD Enterprises won't be paid. I'm not exactly the sort of man that runs out on invoices or commitments at the first sign of trouble. You would do well to remember that about me. Finally, I wanted to thank you for the yoga. I was flying into a mess created by Wickham towards my sister in Europe and I really needed those few minutes to help me relax before I had to deal with him again. So while it may not have been a big deal to you, it was a big deal to me"

"Darcy, I, um, wow, I don't really know what to say. Your welcome, I guess. I mean thank you and your welcome."

"Your sister, I hope she is OK."

"Yes, she'll be fine." "But, Elizabeth, since you mentioned it, about your stomach, I was actually thinking about it and I..."

"Look, I don't want your pity. Really, please... We can't have this conversation. Not now, not ever. I'm sorry you had to see it. Embarrassed I subjected you to that. Um, I have to go now. Bye Darcy"

With that she hung up the phone. As far as Elizabeth was concerned she had just ended their relationship on a rather good note. She would still go to crew for the America's Cup, but at least now she wasn't worried about her financial situation. She could spend this time looking for another client and investing more into her designs.

Hearing her voice crack and realizing she was on the verge of tears as she spoke to him and tried to get off the phone, Darcy admitted he liked her even more. What a refreshing change she was to the women who wanted to use him for his money, his connections or his family name. She seemed to want nothing from him or to do with him. That was of little concern though. Darcy knew what he wanted, and if he wanted her, he would have her. His relationship with intriguing and surprisingly emotional rollercoaster that was Elizabeth Bennet had definitely only just begun...


	23. Chapter 23: Arrival

Thanks for all of the encouraging reviews! Please keep them coming. Favoriting and following the story keeps it higher profile and make it more attractive for others which admittedly keeps me writing faster.

I deeply appreciate the fixes, questions and notes about how so many of you have connected to Beni and Chase and Darcy in this story. One Q that I found interesting were multiple concerns about Beni being away for 6 months. Thankfully, we don't have to deal with 100 pages of Collins and Longbourne boredom since I'm writing this story and...I have already proven how much fun video chat can be...I promise I'll keep D/E/C interaction and angst coming!

I still don't own P&P, but I am from Boston, and my thoughts are with the victims and their families.** If you got any enjoyment from reading this, please ****donate to the Marathon victims fund. **The fact that the injured have to fund their own medical costs makes me ill beyond words.

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Chapter 23: Arrival

From the moment he had gotten off his private jet and seen his sister waiting for him on the private airstrip, Darcy has felt like his world had come crashing down.

His sister looked terrible.

Old for her youth, beaten and broken in a way 19 year old young women were never supposed to feel. Since his father had died and his mother a few years before that, Darcy had made cuts and scrapes disappear, soothed emotional hurts, disbanded catty groups of girls and tried to make sure his sister had an upbringing as normal as she could, given the circumstances. She was a rich orphan, and orphan of one of the most powerful banking families in Switzerland.

She had loose ties to royalty and rumor had it he might be 125th in line for the crown of Denmark should the need ever arise.

Still, Darcy had left grad school, he had come home for tee parties and watched Disney movies. He had learned how to brush hair, make plaits, paint nails and apply makeup. He had talked his sister through her first period, arranged for her first gynecologist appointment, soothed her through her first crush on a boy and been both mother and father for as long as he could remember.

Sadly, he had grossly underestimated the slime sucking evil that was his childhood friend, George Wickham. For that, he knew he had failed. Failed his family, failed his parents, failed his sister and ultimately failed himself. He was a Darcy and he was determined to get it right this time.

No matter the cost, or the time involved. He would put everything else in his life aside and hyper focus on fixing and helping his sister and punishing George Darcy.

Barely able to understand as she cried into the phone what exactly Wickham had done to his sister while he was in LA, he still flew straight home because he wanted to make sure it was clear to Gigi where his priorities lay.

The past few days had been a fun distraction, but he realized now, that was all they could be. His sister had broken again, under the force that was George Wickham, and while he knew he couldn't kill him with his bare hands, he could certainly use his wealth, his power and his position to make him regret the day he ever made an enemy of the family that had raised him into adulthood and offered him everything on a silver platter just a few short years ago.

It has never been enough for George of course, since he would never be a Darcy, but he would come to regret his ego and his obsession with power and wealth, Fitzwilliam Darcy would make sure of it.

"Will, I feel so silly, like a silly little girl." "But thank you, thank you so much for coming."

"G –you are the most important person in my life. When you pick up the phone, I come. Never question that. Whatever it is, I will fix it and we will make it better."

"Sweetheart, you look absolutely terrible though. Let's get in the limo and you can tell me what happened on the ride back. OK?"

"Ok Will"

"I'm sorry for making a mess of everything again. I know you must hate and resent me by now."

"G-I will not say this again."

"I could never hate or resent you." "You are my _little sister_, but you are my whole world."

"Never doubt that, and never feel bad for needing me, my time, my talents, my money or my help."

"It is all for you. I would gladly give it all away it is meant you would just be happy again, like you were before Geor..."

"Please, don't say his name."

"Sorry, I forgot."

"Now G, sit, pour me a drink and tell me what happened."

"William, It is 7 in the morning, don't you think it is a bit early to be drinking?"

"Very funny sweet girl. It is 10 at night for me, and I didn't sleep at all on the jet."

"Why didn't you sleep on the jet? That has never been a problem for you before..."

"G-let's talk about that later, but recently, sleep has been a big issue."

"Oh Will, now I'm even more sorry."

"Don't be sorry. I'll fix it, just like I fix everything else..."

"Now talk to me G...What happened with _He who must not be named_? "

"Very funny Will!" "but, I almost don't know where to start..."so please just promise you'll be patient and you won't get angry..."

* * *

Elizabeth dialed Chase with excitement. Now that she knew her bills were to be paid, she was actually looking forward to having this time with her best friend and a few intense months on the water. Then there was also the possibility they might actually win. Chase was the Captain, but she knew together, they could be unbeatable if they both gave it their all.

He answered on the second ring.

"Hey Beni, I missed you." "Where have you been?"

"Hhhm...let's see...Dealing with Darcy, Jane, and getting my life in order to go with you and of course some yoga on the beach this morning to keep me sane." "What about you. Over your hangover? You were so wasted last night."

"Beni, I'm sorry about last night. I got so excited about us and, well, I just lost my head waiting for you."

"Chase, we have 6 months to be together. No rush, but no more frat party drinking...OK?" "I love you, but if you throw up on me again, I may kill you." Chase was laughing when he heard her say "You know, I actually liked those shoes. And if you have to throw up, at least throw up on my Crocs! I can wash them!"

"Deal, so...when can I see you today?"

"Whenever you want, do you want to have lunch together?"

"It's a date. Just tell me when and where..."

"Well, since we both have jobs and won't be homeless or unemployed, I thought we could sort of celebrate. What about 26 Beach or Gjelina? Wait, I know you love those huge burgers at 26 Beach, so let's go there..."

"How did you remember that? We haven't been there for ages."

"Chase, you are my best friend, I try to remember important things about people who are so important in my life. You know the same type of things about me."

"Well, I know I do, I just thought that..."

"You thought what exactly?"

"I thought it was one sided.."

"One sided how?"

"Let's talk at the restaurant, OK? I'll meet you there at 12:30?"

"OK, I'll see you there."

Chase had planned to say I love you before he hung up, but somehow that didn't seem right. He wasn't sure what happened, but he felt like he was suddenly backpedaling in their relationship when last night has seemed so perfect.

Beni's call with Chase had left her confused. She suddenly worried that the almost kiss with Chase wasn't a drunken accident. Could he have feelings for her? After all this time? Was that even possible?

Her mind kept telling her no, but her heart was telling her something else. Something about the way he had been speaking to her was different, and he was somehow different and she didn't know how exactly she felt about it. Chase was hot chocolate on a cold day, comfy sweats and purple crocs, warm sand between her toes. Comfort, security, love, acceptance, easy, safe, calm.

Maybe that is what love actually was. But no, Chase has paraded his previous female conquests in front of her. He went for blondes, that had more to give and certainly let the world know they gave him a lot more than Beni ever would or could. She was not the Chase type.

As she took a moment to reflect on her relationship with Chase, Darcy kept creeping into her thoughts.

Now here was someone who made her feel anything but comfortable. He was raw, edgy, infuriating, pompous, self centered and a bit of a control freak. None of the things on her list of must-have boyfriend traits.

Boyfriend traits, who was she kidding?

Darcy pitied her for her deformed stomach and nothing more. He probably had some charity fulfillment he had to make from the bank and would offer her the plastic surgeon who had done wonders on his sisters nose...at no charge.

She was not a charity case and she didn't need him to fix her. The less she thought about him, the better.

Sadly, her mind and her heart were not always in agreement and Darcy continued to win the battle for her internal musings all the way to meet Chase for their celebration lunch at 26 Beach.


	24. Chapter 24: De Facto

Murky waters ahead. I have admitted before that I hate Wickham. I hate writing him, experiencing his evil in my head and imagining his thoughts. I would prefer to live in a world of unicorns and rainbows...but alas, we do not.

And so, I would appreciate your feedback and comments as this was hard for me to write. I have the next chapter already written and it is full of Chase and Beni and Darcy and of course...lots of unicorns and rainbows...when you tell me you are ready, I'll turn the page. (Can you tell how much time I spend reading to little people?!)

Please Review. Favorite. Follow.

I still own nothing of value, just the rainbows and unicorns...

Until next week,

Lady M

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**Chapter 24: De Facto**

Chase was backpedaling, Liz was musing, Darcy was livid and Gigi was running scared. The only person having a relatively calm day was George Wickham.

Having passed over the US Mexican border last night near San Diego, driven to Ensenada and gotten onto a small dingy that led him out to a private yacht he was currently borrowing from one of the largest opium dealers in Afghanistan, George was admittedly tired, but feeling quite pleased with himself.

His personal mission to #screwdarcy was in full swing –and the only person that was still oblivious was Mr. Self-righteous Darcy himself. George knew that Darcy's old boys' club security firm thought they had a handle on him and his plans and activities. In reality though, Darcy's security team was ineffective and old school –they had nothing. Well, actually, they had what George had fed them purposely to mislead them and nothing beyond that. Typical Darcy, do things the way they had always been done. This was a new world, and the sacred way he approached his family business would eventually destroy it.

William Darcy had dared to stand in the way of George, his intentions with Georgiana and his rightful claim to the Darcy money that the older Darcy had promised him in his will. Darcy's father had wanted Wickham to have the money and the power that came with the Darcy name. He had insinuated it at every chance and every opportunity in their upbringing. He had always encouraged him never to settle, and always to aim higher. George was convinced William had changed the will when his father had suddenly died, cutting George out of most of what he deserved. Now Darcy would pay for his selfish nature and his greed. Had he honestly thought that 1 million dollars would be enough to send George Wickham on his merry way?

George had not sucked up and kissed add to Darcy Sr. for almost 20 years for a paltry million dollars. A million dollars wasn't even the annual insurance premium on the family's winter home in Lake Geneva.

Darcy had his fair chance to share the early spoils of his father's untimely death, but he had chosen to be angry and bitter at being the unloved son. So be it. Darcy had made his choice, and now so had George. Darcy could have lived a reasonably happy, albeit small life in comfort had he given George what he wanted and deserved. Instead he had stolen everything from George and therefore must pay, with everything he held dear, until he was screaming for mercy.

Indeed, he would destroy Georgiana once and for all, the hallucinations she was currently experiencing were only the beginning of his plan. Her heroin addiction would rot her mind and her body. He had loved her, once. Now she was ruined though and he planned to continue to push her until her weak mind forced her to take her own life or Darcy capitulated and put her in a sanitarium. George would make sure she would be too far gone to save.

Beni had been almost too easy to turn from Darcy. He supposed he would follow up with her in another week or so. Beni wasn't really his type, but she was so easily played, and so refreshingly honest and naïve –he considered the irony that she of all people would be someone Darcy would be attracted to. Beni was just like a present that had fallen in his lap like an extra treat. He felt badly for about 10 seconds when he realized that she was innocent in all of this and would perhaps have the most to lose. Such is life, she was simply collateral damage. Darcy had sealed her fate when he had singled her out.

Since he planned to be back in the US in less than a week, George had assumed he could continue to woo her then. She was now unemployed and her precious engine were impounded, so she would no doubt be bored, frustrated and especially angry at Darcy. What could be better than a frustrated beach yogi? No doubt he could help her work off some of her frustrations in a way that would be mutually satisfying for both of them and very green. In the meantime, he had already made sure that her business was in limbo and her feelings about Darcy were as they should be –that he was the last man on earth she would ever have feelings for.

Darcy himself was now considered a suspect in a drug smuggling and money laundering ring. True enough that Darcy had access to the kind of cash that had almost instantly bought all of them bail and temporary freedom, but that was only his first wave attack. There was still much more to come.

Thinking about it, it was time to play some electronic warfare with his favorite Swiss family as his target, a DDoS attack on their corporate servers, followed by a total shutdown of their corporate communication accounts, and the release of a list (that has cost him quite handsomely) that contained information about more than 20 Nazi accounts their family bank had been holding for more than 70 years. Tomorrow, he would accidentally make sure to publish a public notice that two pieces of treasured art at the Darcy family estate were actually looted paintings with unclear provenance.

George had so much more up his sleeve, but this would be enough to get started.

His favorite photo of a doped up Georgiana would be next. He was pretty sure he would be offered at least a million from every one of the notorious European tabloids for the picture, but at this point, the money didn't interest him. It was time for the world to see the kind of trash that comprised the perfect Darcy clan. There was nothing darling about their old Swiss money and George Wickham intended to share that with the world.

Georgiana might have temporarily kicked the habit after her brother had separated them and sent her to rehab, but the media barrage the family was about to endure would no doubt force her delicate psyche back into the dark hole she belonged in. How dare she reject him and chose her snippy, self centered brother over their relationship.

How dare she not love him?

She would learn the hard way what that really cost. George was gleeful about teaching her.

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**Please Review! Favorite! Follow! yada yada yada...**


	25. Chapter 25: Renewed

Lovely readers...for those of you who have a problem with Wickham being smart, but no problem with Chase standing in for Charlotte and being a guy in love with Elizabeth, I salute you.

The only thing I promise in this story is an eventual Darcy/Elizabeth relationship. All other bets are off!

Still, I appreciate your concerns with regards to Wickham's smarts. Let us remind ourselves that two college dropouts just executed a mass murder and bombing plot using remote control car detonators in Boston and built their bombs with a pressure cooker and used ball bearings to maximize casualties...the world of evil is simply not as complex, complicated or difficult to imagine and mastermind as you think it is.

There was an article in the NYTimes yesterday about a prominent game theorist who has decided that Jane Austen and specifically P&P is a major work in terms of game theory. Highly recommend you read that piece if that kind of stuff interests you. If you are reading my story then it already interests you more than you know. I would give you the link, but then my account would be closed...so I'll resist for now. New York Times online...go find it!

As always, I really appreciate your feedback and comments. I really hope you enjoy these rainbows and unicorns. Please, make sure not to be drinking anything hot or fizzy when you read this (to avoid nose snorting). I have clearly made Ms. Austen regret she ever wrote something so popular...but alas, it all still belongs to her.

I am sorry to see that the ff board has gone really quiet now that the LBD is over...hopefully people will still celebrate 200 years of P&P in other ways and not abandon us completely...

Until next time,

Lady M

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**Chapter 24: Renewed**

Chase stood outside 26 Beach looking, quite frankly, way HOTTER than usual.

_Wait, what?!_

Beni wanted to slap herself.

_Since when had Chase ever looked HOT. When had she ever even thought of him that way?_

_OK, Elizabeth, be honest with yourself, he was always HOT, but he was best friend HOT._

But maybe it was time. Time to let go and try to be with someone. If she was going to be with anyone, it would have to be him. After the accident, she had resolved to not be with anyone, knowing how they would feel about her scars. She couldn't stand the look of revulsion she had seen on the faces of the doctors and nurses that had worked in the burn unit. Her mother had been hysterical– heck, she could hardly look at her own stomach without feeling the same way.

She knew her burns made her unloveable and she refused to just be in a relationship for sex if someone felt she was repulsive. Hence, why she shies away from all forms of relationships for so long.

But Chase, with his ridiculously cute smile, standing in front of her in jeans and dark blue polo, was HOT and she was jealous.

Jealous of women who had relationships, who had bodies that were admired and enjoyed by their boyfriends and husbands. She had lost all of that through her own stupidity and excitement with one careless experiment in her lab at grad school, but it still hurt. Staring at Chase, it hurt more than it normally did.

_It's just lunch with Chase, -get a hold of yourself._ She thought without saying it under her breath.

_Wait, had she been talking to herself out loud? No, OK, he was still smiling and didn't appear to have heard her._

_Just breathe. In-Out. He is smiling, you just smile back. He doesn't need to know you can't stop sweating, your deodorant is failing and your palms are clammy. This is just Chase._

Chase offered her a little wave, forgetting that he had a small bouquet of flowers for her in his hands. He quickly tried to hold it behind his back again and looked at her sheepishly.

_Holy Hell!_ Maybe she hadn't just imagined "the kiss that wasn't" from the bar.

_Ok, but don't get ahead of yourself. Just talk to him and enjoy today. He is your best friend and you can still talk to him about anything._

Beni kept walking, slowly at first and then more quickly. As she arrived in front of him, she gave him a brilliant smile. He quickly leaned in and kissed her on the lips. It was delicate, gentle and very quick, causing Beni to still be unsure.

It could still have been a platonic kiss between friends...except he had never done that before. Then he stared into her eyes, presented her with her bouquet and proceeded to wrap his arms around her waist, leaving Beni little doubt as to his thoughts about their future.

While Beni let her mind wander again and wondered if they could make this work, Chase stared down at her in wonder.

"Ready to go in?"

"Yes"

He maneuvered them to a quiet table and became chivalrous holding out her seat for her.

Elizabeth was just a bit surprised by this new side of Chase. She had never seen him act this way with his previous girlfriends. It was certainly sweet and very unexpected.

Before they even received menus, Chase leaned over their cozy corner table grabbed Beni's hand to hold it gently as he looked into her eyes and said...

"listen Beni, I see the way you are looking at me. I know this is sudden for you and maybe you still don't know how you feel. But you have to know, it isn't sudden for me at all."

"I've been totally in love with you since the first time you beat me in a sailboat and I have loved you constantly since. I have been so afraid of destroying what we have that I stopped myself from ever trying to make it more. But I truly and deeply love you and now that I know you share those feelings, I'm willing to take the risk and see where this takes us."

"Beni, you must know, how perfect we are together."

In that moment, she was so overwhelmed by what she saw in his gaze, she felt as though she had forgotten how to breathe.

She absolutely did love Chase, she always had. But she loved him as the brother she never had.

Until that _almost kiss_, he had always been her safety net, her home base, her permanent light house.

His revelations to her had left her with more questions than anything else. How deep were his feelings? What were her own feelings? Most importantly what would they do if they messed this up and she lost him from her life? She didn't know if she could handle losing her best friend. What a possible relationship worth risking having him in her life?

"Chase" she started, and then very unlike her normal self, could not seem to find the courage to finish.

He looked again deep into her eyes, she felt like he was boring a hole into her soul with the look, he was expectant, but there was also so much love in his gaze.

"Chase, I don't know exactly what to say. You can't have any doubt about my love for you. I adore you, I trust you, I laugh with you, I relax with you, I get silly with you, heck, I even let you throw up on me –but I must be honest and say that it has always been brother/sister love for me."

At this, Chase lowered his gaze, seemingly unable to keep looking at her and released his hold on her hand.

She quickly added " Until last night. Last night, when you were about to kiss me. Do you remember it?"

He nodded almost afraid for her to continue with her retelling.

"We almost kissed, and I have not been able to stop thinking about it and come to a resolution about it all day."

"I do love you. I'm just not sure it can or will be the same love as what you think you feel for me. And that, well it petrifies me. The last thing I would ever want to do is hurt you."

"So I'm going to be selfish and tell you that above all, I just can't lose you. You are my everything, so if you agree that above all, you will always be in my life, then I am willing to give this a try."

Before Chase could express his happiness at the chance she was giving him. Beni continued on..

"But I do have rules about this. Tell me if you want to hear them or if you think I'm crazy and I should just go."

"Sweetheart, of course you have rules-you wouldn't be the woman I love if you didn't have rules. Let me hear them before I regret this..."

Beni pulled a piece of drafting paper out of her purse that she had written up this morning when she considered this might be a possibility. She was embarrassed she had done it, but no one could fault her for not being serious about this.

1. We go slow physically. And I mean Beni speed slow, not you and the rest of the crew with your Nemesis groupies speed. I have to be comfortable.

2. We are both honest about our feelings, all the time.

3. We agree not to tell our families or the crew of the Nemesis of the Lady Anne for now.

4. On the Lady Anne, you are the Captain and I am your first mate, but we keep this between us and we don't share living Q's.

5. No matter what, you absolutely promise to be my best friend. Even if in 5 minutes, you hate me . I cannot lose your friendship for love Chase. I simply won't survive it.

She hesitated for a moment, looked at him meaningfully and then continued..."I know I don't have to remind you, but you were there in the hospital after I woke up from the accident in the lab."

"You made me want to live again after my mother was screeching like mad about how I had destroyed my body and I would never find anyone to love me. This is so hard for me, so please, I don't know how else to ask or beg or demand. But please just promise that how ever this goes, you will never stop loving me like you did before."

She had tears in her eyes as she looked up from her paper at him.

He tightened his slack grip on her hand, picked up her fingers and kissed them. He then wiped away her tears with his other hand.

"Beni, I promise. Whatever this is, nothing between us changes. I will always love you. I agree to your rules and I know this is scary for you. But we do this together, like always."

"Well, actually, normally, you beat me at everything. So this, we actually do together. You can't run away or run forward –OK?"

"OK"

"So what now?"

"Now, we eat and finish our date. You let me pay and then I kiss you properly outside. No more _almost_ kisses."

She smiled at him. A reluctant, forced type of smile.

Chase realized this might not be as easy as he had previously thought. But it was OK, he was and could be patient. He had waited too long for this not to be.

Beni already felt slightly dishonest, especially after having just told him of her rules. When Chase had said "kiss", the man that popped into Beni's mind was Darcy. If that wasn't a sign she had already lost her mind and ability to think logically, she didn't know what was.

As they finished their lunch, Beni looked at Chase. He was so carefree and happy. He seemed to light up every time he looked at her. As she considered him, her worry continued to grow. She feared she had already lost her best friend, and that there would be no way to restore their relationship once the ropes finally gave way.

What had she just stupidly gone and done?

* * *

So you loved me until the last bit, and now you kind of hate me. What better way to express those feelings than a review, follow or favorite.

I'll be back with more unicorns and rainbows soon...


	26. Chapter 26: Missed

The last two chapters have actually been losing followers to the story! Wow; this is such a tough audience!

So thanks for any of you still sticking with me on this! There are about 10 or 11 (maybe 12 if people keep deserting this) chapters left and I will try to continue to post at least once a week. (Two a week when you gift me with lots of reviews or follows etc.) If however, I continue to make people angry, maybe I'll be back down to zero follows by the time I finish...LOL!

Now, onto the show...

Hugs and kisses from my unicorn

Lady M

Sorry EVERYONE...I uploaded the wrong document. This was poorly edited. Have fixed now. SORRY!

* * *

**Chapter 26: Missed**

William Darcy woke from a restless sleep that should have been longer, had the gaping hole his sister had left in his chest yesterday during their ride home from the airport been less heartfelt.

What his sister had explained to him on the car ride home about her flashbacks and feelings, had opened up a new world for him of anger and pain.

His sister was hurting. Hurting so much from that King of Lies he had been mistaken to allow into her world when they were younger and he still hadn't done enough to protect her from. He realized while she was speaking to him in the limo that she was no longer a child, how incredibly smart and insightful she was and how grateful he was they were still close enough she would tell him.

She knew she was being manipulated and only wanted to help Darcy by telling him everything she knew –yet with all her insight, Wickham was still in her head and her thoughts. Polluting her soul with his vile and misdirected hated of the Darcy family.

Darcy knew that she hadn't intended it, but she had burdened him with a sinking load. Oh, he would never tell her how much her admissions had hurt him, made him feel derelict, useless and unprepared or how they had burned anger into his mind until he could see or hear little else. But one day, a day very soon, Darcy planned to make sure that Wickham paid for what he had done to his family and his sister. In the meantime, his first job, his only real job that mattered was to protect her and help her heal.

It wasn't in Darcy's nature to hold a grudge or even really to judge others harshly, but George Wickham was one person Darcy planned to make sure paid for the nefarious acts he had performed against his family to the fullest extent possible.

He had never been the spoiled rich kid that used his power or his family money to stay above the law. That had always been George. But Darcy knew the way things worked; he knew what was expected of him given his family name. He also knew how much George knew about the way his family did business.

Listening to his sister, he realized he needed to make changes quickly. He needed to forget the way things had been done when his father had run the bank, and even his own methods which had been a carryover from his father's old-fashioned ways and start again. He needed to be willing to take risks and listen to his own internal guidance system rather than the stodgy old advisers his father has put his absolute faith in.

Until yesterday afternoon, he had never understood just how much George Darcy hated him, his family or the level of resentment he had felt about the will and his inheritance. Maybe Darcy has been naïve about how much money can corrupt someone, but he had always wanted to give Wickham –and anyone else the basic benefit of the doubt. Until he hurt his sister. Now that he was messing with her mind again, the gloves would come off and Darcy would spare no money, no time and no energy to bring this situation to an end.

His first meeting this morning was with a start-up security firm based in Zurich. Charles had actually provided the lead and helped him close all of the financial details in secret. The team was apparently ex-Mossad, known to be absolutely discreet and very tech savvy. While he wouldn't make immediate changes that would tip off his in-house team, he would add to his current level of data and business security while checking out everything happening within his business. He wanted to know how far George's reach stretched and cut off the snake at the head as quickly as possible.

The meeting was happening by video chat; Darcy had been instructed to download a certain app just a few minutes before the call was scheduled to begin.

As he finished trying to control his hair and straighten his tie, he found himself buzzing with excitement. They had already found tracing software installed on a number of his machines. His phone was new, his data had already been wiped and he had a sense this team could help eradicate George Wickham from his life once and for all.

While he waited for their CTO to come on line, he wasn't sure how he could help Georgiana deal with her daemons, but he suddenly had an idea. Remembering the last time his heart had felt free, at peace and all had felt right in the world, was when he had been doing yoga on the plane, he made a snap decision to call Elizabeth after this conference call was over.

He had started to think of her as just_ Liz_ in his mind, but something about the way she had ended her last call made him think she would not appreciate being called that yet, at least not by him.

Still, a smaller part of his heart, which he was admittedly unwilling to fully explore yet, ached for her. For her freedom, for her naiveté, for her goodness and total innocence of the lifestyle he had been so used to living. His sister clearly needed strength and focus in her life, and it just so happened, that he was near in love with the one woman he both trusted enough, and knew could give both to her easily.

He had been surprised by Elizabeth's apparent lack of interest in his wealth and connections and of the lifestyle he lived and what his money could buy her. He was also surprised she hadn't called him or made any effort to use him or his connections in some way since the Nemesis was impounded.

She had not even asked him for a referral or a job reference. He knew then that she never would. Still, if those ridiculous sparkly plastic shoes were any indication, he realized she knew, but didn't hold store in the idea that things, even nice things could bring you happiness. She wasn't poor, and she was certainly educated, as were her parents, but her situation in life was clearly far beneath his own and would always be –even if her engine design was widely successful. It didn't however seem like she cared-at all. She wasn't trying to crack a glass ceiling, make millions and live out some fantasy life on a tropical beach. She didn't seem to mind tinkering with a smelly greasy boat engine or getting her nails dirty.

She had beautiful, delicate, feminine hands, but they bore no polish. He had taken the time to notice them right before he had kissed her and thought it odd then without even realizing why. He wondered if she even owned a single ball gown or had ever been to an A-list event beyond whatever her sister organized in her professional capacity at the museum. Probably not, and she probably didn't care.

His mother had been like that. Natural, gentle, sweet, unassuming and his father had loved her anyway. Sure, it had been a scandal at the time, but the more Darcy thought about it, the more a future without her, without _his Liz_, seemed unnatural, lonely and desolate. Full of things, but devoid of her special mixture of spirit and adventure.

She was the embodiment of light and air and hope. His normal and familiar posh surroundings and society suddenly seemed stuffy, fake and entirely too mercenary for his tastes, and certainly were for his sister in her present condition.

But, even with all of his romanticized reams, Darcy was not stupid. He could not build a relationship with Elizabeth on the basis of his sister needing her help. Still, she had sisters –more than he had, and she would have what was needed for Georgiana right now, maybe even more than he ever could. The same way she had lovingly looked after Jane, he had known that if he asked it, Liz would do the same for a stranger or a friend. He knew her heart wouldn't be able to say no.

Recognizing that on the subject of women worth knowing, he was still grossly amateur, he knew of only one other person in his immediate circle he could ask for help. Sure, his cousin was a bit of a ladies' man and spent far too much time in the tabloids for the good of the family, but he was also honest and sincere in his want to help Georgiana and William, and Darcy knew he could be trusted above all else. He also knew that although he had dates his fair share of women, his relationships never worked and he was never prepared to take the next step. If he wanted someone like Liz in his life, he knew he would need to do and give more than he ever had in the past. He was ready, but how?!

It was time to call his cousin Fitz to help him with Elizabeth. In the meantime, it was time to get these Israelis to deal with Wickham.

"Mr. Darcy, would you like the good news or the bad news first?"

"Hhmmm...Interesting way to start a phone call." "Well, the bad news of course."

"The bad news, George Wickham is a psychopath who hates you and your family and has designs on your life, your money and your family. But, that may not actually be news; I suspect you knew that already."

"Now the good news? We have already hacked into his computer, phone, surveillance, drug smuggling and arms dealings operations. Some of what he does is of interest to Interpol and we'll work with the appropriate authorities in each country on your behalf. His referring to his operation against your family as #screwdarcy was a really stupid move and makes most of it easy to track. He also has no idea who he is now dealing with, so we can also play a bit of fun going in the other direction should you so wish."

"Fun, what do you mean fun?"

"Well, we found a picture stored on his secure server which he had planned to release today to the press of your sister. Hope you don't mind we ran face recognition on every file in his domain and sub domains for you. It does not show her in a favorable light. Anyway, we'll manipulate it, destroy all original copies and upload something a little better."

"Better? How can you make that better?"

"How about we just replace it with a real picture of Wickham with known terrorist factions from the Afghani opium trade, or illegal arms dealers? That should make his life a bit more complicated over the next few days and weeks as a start!" "We also found lists of accounts he plans to expose from your bank and what the document claims is looted Nazi art." "We'll need to discuss that. We take those claims very seriously and if they are true, we'll ask you to do right by the artwork and the accounts before we'll continue to work with you, but we are certain you'll find an amiable solution."

"I have no idea what he has fabricated, but trust me, my family bank is clean, and if it isn't, we'll clean it together. I won't have looted anything as the basis of my future. That isn't how I do business."

"Then we are in agreement."

"Yes, we are."

"Pleasure doing business with you Mr. D"

"Indeed guys, keep up the outstanding work. Shalom"

Darcy was overwhelmed by the magnitude and scope of what George had set into motion against his family. Knowing that he had made contact with Elizabeth made him more nervous. _He should warn her, but how exactly without making him appear to be a jealous idiot just looking for revenge?_

_Fitz!_

_Fitz would certainly know how to handle all of it._

Suddenly, he found himself wanting a celebratory drink. It wasn't even 9:30 AM yet. He poured himself a small shot glass of whisky, from his father's private collection. He toasted _L'Chaim_ in honor of his new Israeli security team, to no one in particular while staring at bookcase.

Fitz wouldn't be awake for hours yet and he didn't want to call Elizabeth early and unprepared. Whatever he said, it had to be planned and it had to be perfect.

It was time to discuss with Georgiana a small change in plans. They would head to Italy and she would recover with Elizabeth (he planned to tell her she was hired very soon for a job she hadn't yet applied for) in seclusion at their Aunt Catherine's home on a small private island near the Italian Coast, San Rosings. Here, he knew he could get G away from the paparazzi, and the crowds and the noise. Most importantly, she would be totally out of Wickham's reach.

Other than her very public sponsorship of the Lady Anne in the America's Cup race, his aunt was a bit of a hermit. Not even Wickham really knew about her or her connection to the race. He wouldn't be able to track them at San Rosings and she would be thrilled to have Georgiana, William and Fitzwilliam with her. She was always inviting them at this time of year to help her oversee the secret crew training which happened around her private islands –they always refused. What a surprise this would be for everyone.

He reminded himself he had to call the new security firm to arrange personal security for the island as well. For once, he was looking forward to time on the water that would be well very spent.

While he waited for a reasonable hour in which he felt Fitz would normally wake up from a night of clubbing, he was more than happy to pass the time thinking about _his Liz would look_ in a bathing suit. In Italy, he knew he could easily make her understand and feel everything he needed her to. He would plan it all perfectly and she would just fit right in.


	27. Chapter 27: Stilted

A/N: Lovely readers...

Super large apology for some incredibly sloppy writing, lack of editing and mistaken uploading. Lesson learned and hopefully, that will be the last time I post at 3AM...Have now fixed 26, and should make sense now. Really, really embarrassed about that and, well, hopefully you get the idea and forgive me.

So here is 27 as a penance for 26 being horrid when I first uploaded it.

Luckily, the attrition of favorites and followers has stopped, but I haven't gained any either. Curious folks...500 people (seemingly my loyal following) read each chapter within a day or two of each uploading...and yet...no one else likes it enough to favorite or follow? What up with that? Confused but still plodding onward Thanks to everyone who had left an encouraging review. Really appreciate them and you!

Unicorns and Rainbows,

Lady M

* * *

**Chapter 27: Stilted**

After walking out of the restaurant with Chase, Elizabeth was nervous about their forthcoming kiss.

_This is_ c_urious_ she thought to herself. _Why exactly am I nervous?_

_I never felt this way about Darcy. Why am I thinking about Darcy? I just agreed to be in a relationship with Chase? Ah, oh my gosh, what if I have food in my teeth when he kisses me?_

_Here he comes, I can see he plans to kiss me, well, I should no, no just,_

...

...

**_Well, that was, it was,_**

**_Well, it was,_**

**_It._**

**_Just._**

**_Was._**

She had absolutely nothing else to think. Her mind was officially blank.

Chase was technically a good kisser, but she had felt nothing. No spark, no tingles, no fireworks in her frontal lobe. Funny, when he had pulled away, she thought she could detect that he felt the exact same thing as she did. Like she had just kissed a brother with tongue and it was all very weird and out of place.

_Maybe we just need to work on it?_

_No, what am I thinking...we shouldn't need to work on it. It should just work. Darcy made me feel like I was on fire when he kissed me –and he had even thought I was someone else. I know I don't have much experience, but how will we ever even talk about this?_

_This is Chase, maybe just make a joke. Ok, no joke, just say something. Or this is going to be weird and awkward._

_Ok, this is now officially weird and awkward._

Chase, grabbed her hand to walk her to her car. He was smiling, but Beni could tell his smile wasn't real. _Now who was forcing the issue?_ They would have to really talk about all of this and soon.

On the way to the car, her phone rang. It wasn't a number she recognized.

She answered it and immediately realized it was Darcy.

She felt herself go tingly, tense and strangely excited. She couldn't speak so she struggled to get out a simple squeaky "Hi Darcy".

Chase grabbed the phone from her, snatched it right out of her right hand over her head.

"Beni is on the date, can she call you back later?"

"Um, A date?"

"Yes, a date?"

"Like an event?"

"No, like a date, where a couple goes out together to enjoy each others company and they kiss afterwards.""She's in my company right now and she'll call you back. Thanks for calling."

Chase hung up and stared at the phone smugly.

Chase looked down at Beni way too happy with himself.

"Chase-I thought we weren't telling anyone from the crew?"

"Hey, I remember the rules, but I didn't break them, I told Darcy, who until yesterday was our employer. He isn't a member of the crew!"

"Chase, you're splitting hairs –I thought this was between us for now."

"Sorry, I'm a guy, and I wanted to gloat. He was so sure you were his, I totally id that for me. It was stupid and ego and macho and man, sorry, but Beni, that felt really good."

"OK, caveman... but wait, what do you mean he thought I was his?" "Chase, stop gloating and tell me what you meant...what do you mean?"

"Beni, you know exactly what I mean, the sailboats, the whole Nemesis event, the "meeting", he had a plan and he set his lofty sights on you."

He gently tweaked her nose when he said that. She almost snorted in response to what he had said.

"Chase, Darcy hates me, what in the world are you talking about? Absolutely none of what you just said makes any sense."

"Sweetheart, I don't want to spend our first official date talking about Darcy –since I'm sure I don't have to remind you that you chose me, but yes, he was into you, yes he wanted you and yet, even with all of his money and power, you still chose me. Case closed. Let's move on"

He handed her back her phone after he blocked the number Darcy had just called her from first.

"Um, creepy controlling boyfriend much?"

"No, just self-confident Captain with the sexy girlfriend First Mate who doesn't need to speak to Mr. Darcy ever again...ok?"

"Ahhh, OK, I guess." (Totally not, but how could she say that to her best friend who apparently needed her for his EGO?! WTH!)

He held open the door for Beni as she got into his car. She could pick her car up later.

Chase knew how to play this game, how to flirt and make things easy between them. He didn't however know how to deal with the protest his heart was making about dating his best friend, when kissing her had been like kissing his mother. Besting Darcy had so far been the best part of the last 10 minutes.

After all this time, he had expected heat and passion and , frankly, crazy sex pretty quickly after they first got together. None of that seemed right or real or relevant with Beni anymore and he didn't know what to do about it.

_What happens when after waiting for something for so long, you realize you don't actually want it? How could he do this to her after convincing her to give it a try and taking such a leap with him?_

_Maybe he just had to try harder to make it work?_

Beni was looking at Chase in a new light, wondering why she hadn't grabbed the phone back? _Why she hadn't stopped him from hanging up on Darcy._

_Could what he said about Darcy's feelings towards her be true? Could he have arranged everything to his advantage? No, clearly Chase was just playing the jealous boyfriend and he was playing it well, but it was obvious that Darcy could never have an interest in someone like her. The whole idea was almost too preposterous to consider._

_Still, it didn't mean she couldn't or wouldn't get excited when he reached out and called her. Did that make her disloyal to Chase? Already? They hadn't even been dating for 3 hours. No wonder she would end up unmarried and alone –she was officially the world's worst girlfriend to her best friend ever._

_Cheating on Chase (ok, just in her mind) while still on a first date. You suck, Elizabeth. Officially, you are a sucky friend and an even worse girlfriend! _

_Perfect, and now I hate myself on top of everything else. _

She made a mental note to remember when Darcy called so she could try to retrieve his number from the call log and call him back later when they got home.

Chase turned to her and handed her a travel case –the kind that held airline tickets.

"Chase, what is this?"

"Our tickets."

"Tickets to...?"

"The**_ Lady Anne_**, we leave first thing tomorrow morning. I hope you don't mind, I had Jane get me your passport info so I could book yours..."

"No, of course I don't mind, that was so sweet. I'll pay you back, but where are we going? I guess I had just assumed we would drive to the Lady Anne. You know, I don't even know where they dock her normally. Where will we be training in San Franciso or San Diego?"

"Um, actually, in Italy?"

"I-I-IItaly?!"

"Yeah, well, actually, a private island on the Italian Coast called San Rosings?"

"The **_Lady Anne_** is docked all year on the Italian Coast?"

"No, just for the secret training runs for about 3 months a year. Since we'll be a new crew, our benefactor wants us to get to know one another in secret, away from prying eyes and annoying competing teams looking to check us out."

"I thought it would be a great idea. What do you think?"

"Well, I think private island off the Italian coast sounds like azure waters and a crazy vacation, but not such challenging sailing."

"I assure you, I checked the charts last night, the coast has many challenges and the weather isn't great this time of year. Also, we need to focus on working as a team more than anything and learning more about each other. No better was to do that than on a secluded resort with no distractions."

"Ok, so I don't want to cut our, um, day, I meant date, short or anything...but I need to go home and finish packing then. I didn't realize we would be leaving so soon."

"No worries B, I'll see you tomorrow and every day after that. I guess I can be a gentleman and take you home now to pack and get ready to leave. We'll probably be able to come home for a break in about 8 weeks. Your ticket is open ended, and first class as befits your station."

"First class?"

"Yeah, your beloved cousin Collins insisted. Our logo jackets should also be arriving tonight via Fedex. Apparently, so we don't embarrass the De Bourg corporate identity, we are expecting to wear them at all times when travelling on behalf of the _**Lady Anne**_."

"Well if they pay for first class tickets to Italy, who am I to complain?"

"Exactly."

As she gave Chase a quick peck on the lips before she got out of the car, she put her hand on his arm and told him he didn't have to come up.

She was quite mercenary in her plan here. She didn't want to try kissing Chase again or feeling badly about how little she had felt when they tried the first time and she wanted the time by herself or with Jane. She did however give Chase a broad smile and he accepted her refusal to come up with a smile of his own.

"Ok babe, so my brother will drive us to the airport tomorrow at 5AM. You'll have everything ready by then?"

"Yeah, thanks again Chase. See you tomorrow morning."

OK, that hadn't been as bad/weird/uncomfortable as she had dreaded. Then again, she had been thinking of Darcy almost non-stop since he had called.

Once again,**_ cheater, loser, loser, cheater_** was the current mantra in her mental playlist right now.

She would have to tell Chase this wasn't going to work and soon. Tomorrow, she would tell him tomorrow.

Chase drive away wondering how long he would have to keep up the pretense of dating Beni before he made her see this wouldn't work between them without destroying their friendship or her self-confidence. He knew her well enough to know that if he rejected her after working so hard to convince her, she would allow herself to slumber in singlehood again thinking she was unloveable like she apparently had before.

* * *

Darcy slumped in his home office chair, deeply upset. The morning had started off so well and he was confident about getting the Wickham situation under control. The Israelis were even better than he had imagined. They seemed to have done more in 24 hours than his own team had accomplished in a year!

But, when Chase had apparently grabbed Liz's phone and told him they were on a date, and then virtually hung up on him, his pretty picture for how to help his sister had crumbled. **Who the hell was he kidding, so had a small piece of his heart.**

_What the hell did he mean he was dating Liz.** His Liz? **Hadn't he just kissed her –less than 72 hours ago? Was she really that fickle? Did she feel nothing of what he had felt during that kiss?_

Still, something about that entire phone call did not sit right with him, and he was determined to get to the bottom of it quickly. He was equally determined to get _his Liz_ back.

In the meantime, he had travel arrangements to make for himself and G and some rehab experts to call and consult with confidentially. While he could not guarantee that Liz would be there immediately, she would be there soon. He would see to it, G needed him too, and so did his unexpectedly fragile heart.

* * *

**End A/N: No unicorns or rainbows were mistreated/abused or killed in the construction of this chapter...and they even start multiplying and having babies soon. (the unicorns and rainbows of course...)**

**When do you think I should post the next chapter? Leave me a review and pick a day! I'll post on the winning day with the most reader votes...**


	28. Chapter 28: Hidden

Hi All,

Apologies in advance that I couldn't get to writing until now. I know you voted for Friday, but RL has overwhelmed me and I don't think I can get myself together until Monday/Tuesday to finish this.

In the meantime, and to hold you over, here is the **start** to 28. The second half will be uploaded on Tuesday or before.

Thanks for all of the reviews for Chapter 27. I enjoyed how much you related to the Beni/Chase lover/not lover/friend/mess with my head fiasco...much more angst to come!

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Lady M

* * *

**Chapter 28: Hidden**

"Yoga?!" "Yoga is your big plan to help me William?"... "Really sorry to disappoint you, but I tried hot yoga already and I hated it..."

"G...what?" "Wait, what are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about Yoga!" Your email is fill of pictures of some hippy granola chic doing yoga on what looks to be an airplane" "From that, I could only assume you plan to fly out this woman to teach me yoga at San Rosings..." "and yeah, I know, my powers of assessment are scary, you can thank boarding school and Wickham for that"... but more to the point, I hate yoga and that won't really help me anyway"

"G, I have no idea what you're talking about, nor do I appreciate you checking my email. Highly unprofessional and a total invasion of my privacy, but before..."

"Hey, if I didn't know you better, I would say you liked this woman, but from the looks of her, I can absolutely see that to be impossible. No way my brother digs a chic with a fisherman's hat or those horrid plastic shoes"..."Wait, you're blushing! Oh, my stone cold brother has finally cracked has he? Pray tell big brother, why the blushing and who exactly is this woman and what is she to you?"

Georgiana, as I haven't seen this purported email yet, I have no idea what you are talking about. It is probably just spam..."

"Come, look, I'll show you, let's see you try to get out of having this conversation then..." "I'll even read it to you so there is no, um, hint of confusion."

"That won't be necessary G!"

"No, really, I insist!" "I'm sure you're tired, and anyway, think of all of those bedtime stories I made you read again and again, just think of it as...payback!"

"Ha! G...really, I'll tell you, just stop harassing me about it already!"

"EVERYTHING?"

"Well, I..."

"If you won't tell me everything, I'll just read his emails myself!"

"There isn't that much to tell, but whatever there is, I'll share, now can I please have my laptop back?"

"If you insist..."

"Thank you, madam"

"Ok, well, I'm going to go find out what's for lunch. While you sit here and read this email thread from mystery man Alon (why do we have a new security company by the way when we already have one?) and try not to get excited about your non love interest who apparently has horrid taste in shoes and hats." "Just tell me, since you know I hate surprises...is she meeting us there? She can be my pet project while in Italy. Aunt C can be boring, insufferable and over bearing otherwise. And your lady friend needs so much help, she could totally keep my mind off George for a while..."

Darcy glared at his sister and waved her back towards the galley and staff area of their private jet. The fact that Alon was emailing him about Elizabeth wasn't unexpected. The fact that it had pictures of her on an airplane certainly was.

He had decided in an instant, after realizing Wickham had plans for Elizabeth, that she needed protection. Rather than trying to alert her and have her take care of it on her own, he was having her shadowed and for now they would stay in the background, just watching and waiting -making sure Wickham didn't try anything really stupid. Darcy suspected Elizabeth wouldn't appreciate it, or the idea she was being watched, but frankly, Darcy didn't care, her safety was more important to him than her feelings at this point.

Looking to make sure G had left the private area of the cabin, Darcy flopped onto the couch with his laptop in hand, ready for the shock that always went through his heart when he saw her -in picture or in real life.

He was prepared for her crocs and her purple shoes. He wasn't prepared to see her sporting the infamous Lady Anne fleece jacket she seemed to be wearing while going through her routine. Chase appeared in some of the pictures and seemed to be wearing the same one.

_What she really flying to meet him without even realizing it? _

He had missed a call from her sometime late last night, and had been berating himself ever since. He had assumed she wouldn't call him back, so he had left that burn phone in his office. A communication app Alon had told him to install had alerted him to the missed call on that phone and her text message.

It has been short and sweet, but it had made his day all the same. He had been rereading it for the 4000th time when G had grabbed his laptop earlier.

_**Darcy, sorry about before w/ Chase. Can we talk? Soon? Thanks, E**_

He has evaluated, analyzed, roll played and was still just as confused as when he first saw her message. Now he was utterly perplexed. _Maybe she knew his connection to the Lady Anne. But then, why wouldn't she tell him she was coming?_

Alon's email message sent with the pictures had him sitting at the end of his seat.

**D-on the move. Your lady is fast! Almost lost her this AM at LAX. Nabbed last seat in first class with her. Will swap in another pair of eyes so she stays in the dark when we land. Understand your interest, as does entire male population of the plane. She has MOVES! Italy bound, to the Lady Anne with everyone else. Why didn't you tell me? You'll arrive first. When is the big reveal? ~Alon**

The fact that she had accepted an offer with Chase to crew on the_ Lady Anne_ was no surprise. Maybe this was the big news his Aunt had been trying to share with him for the last day as he meticulously avoided her calls.

He could not have planned it better, and yet he found himself unhappy at the thought of having to compete with Chase and his aunt for her attention. Especially when San Rosings should have finally been home court advantage.

Still, something in her text message left him unconvinced that things were as they seemed. That meant there was hope and ample reason for the ridiculous grin G found on his face when she came back in to announce what they were having for lunch.

Seeing her brother staring so intently at his laptop with such a happy grin, Georgiana was now determined to transform the mystery woman from the pictures in the purple plastic shoes and silly hat into someone his brother could be proud of. The smile on his face was an event she wanted to see repeated more than once. She had made such a mess of everything recently, if she could help him find happiness, it would be the least she could do towards paying him back for everything he had already done for her...

* * *

There is more coming, I hope by Tuesday at the latest.

THANKS!

M


	29. Chapter 29: Surprised

**Chapter 28B (29): Surpised**

After almost 20 straight hours of air travel in a weird confused relationship with Chase, Elizabeth Bennet was nearing the end of her normally never ending patience.

Traditionally somewhat of a loner who spent at least some time every day by herself on the water, she had done all she could, short of pulling the emergency door and attempting an air jump mid flight to handle her sense of claustrophobia and dislike of planes, airports, security and red tape.

While she had made the plane ride as fun as possible for herself and her fellow passengers with yoga, getting to a remote island in Italy from California (even first class) was neither glamorous or exciting. It was exhausting and she was more than ready for it to be over.

As the steward announced they would soon be landing and that their limo was meeting them at the private landing strip to take them to the San Rosings estate, Elizabeth felt her spirits lift slightly.

Perhaps the next 3 months would be worth the horrific flight path they had just taken? Maybe she could just sail away from the island when it was time to go and she would never have to fly anywhere again?

She wasn't even sure what day or time it was anymore. As she looked out the window, she saw stunning azure waters all around her. Used to the Pacific which was dark and deep, even close to shore, causing most of it to look like a deep swirling mass, these waters were rocky, shallow and the most beautiful color of blue she had ever seen.

Her exhaustion now almost completely forgotten, she found herself mesmerized by the color and her new surroundings. She sincerely hoped she could get out on the water today before her jetlag smacked into her like a freight train.

As she exited the small private plane, she saw the beautiful limo and formally dressed driver and porter and realized her quality of life had just apparently taken a very fast upgrade. Being a girl, even one that was slightly clueless about clothing, she instantly worried she hadn't brought the types of clothes that might be expected of her. She had packed thinking utilitarian, boat crew member, casual girlfriend. She realized she had landed in the midst of old money Europe and dressing inappropriately was most likely not to be borne well by her hostess and new boss, Ms. De Bourge. As she had no means to remedy her faux pas on a private island, she would just have to figure something out. Maybe Jane could Fedex her essentials?

As the limo pulled up to the estate, she wondered at the extensive security she saw everywhere. It seemed more complex than the US military nuclear and IT security compounds she had visited while doing her engineering masters and internship work at UCLA.

She couldn't pry herself away from the window long enough to be concerned about Chase or his feelings at this stage (which concerned her for different reasons). But having just been rescued by Darcy from the clutches of an apparent international drug ring, she was loathe to become involved in anything that wasn't squeaky clean as her next adventure. She made a note to discuss this with Chase and Collins as soon as they had some privacy.

As they drove towards the estate and Elizabeth got a feel for the type of wealth involved, she became more and more seriously resentful and nervous about her lack of a fashion expert -the ever knowledgeable Jane Bennet. She had left a seriously brokenhearted Jane with a new roommate and a boyfriend who was apparently AWOL. She knew she was not going to win sister of the year any time soon.

In a strange turn of events, just two days ago she had assumed she could use Charlie to track down Darcy, instead, she resorted to using Darcy to try to track down and understand what had happened to Charlie.

She had even gone so far as to call Darcy from the airport to ask him if he knew what had happened between Charles and her favorite sister.

It had taken Elizabeth a serious amount of caffeine and guts to make the call (and for some reason she felt she had to hide it from Chase, so she called him from the bathroom in secret during a plane change) and then even sent him a text when he didn't pick up. At the time, the text message had seemed like a good idea. She had said she would do anything for Jane that she could. Not we wished she could take it back.

Even with her coffee inflated confidence, Darcy hadn't called her back. She was slightly embarrassed to admit that she had checked her phone every time they had changed planes hoping to see a message from him. She still couldn't be honest with herself about if she really wanted to speak to him about Charlie, or if it was just to hear his voice and feel what it did to her when they spoke.

_Drat, why could't feelings be controlled? Why couldn't she force herself to love Chase like he deserved and apparently loved her? _

Clearly, whatever Chase had thought about Darcy's feelings towards her, or intentions or wishes were dead wrong. Chase was simply jealous or worried about their fledgling relationship and was projecting that onto Darcy. There was no way Darcy was or would ever be interested in someone like her. Even if she would welcome his attention, it was impossible he would bestow it on a mutilated tomboy from LA who liked to work in the engine room down on the docks. He didn't go for purple Crocs and beer, and as much as she found him incredibly attractive, she wasn't about to change for anyone.

As they pulled up to the large main home, they were met by Elizabeth's cousin Collins. He waved his arms all around to showcase Rosings in the best possible light and then told them that they would perhaps merit an invitation to meet their formidable new boss sometime in the next week based on performance once they got settled in.

She sounded like such a charming woman (NOT) that Elizabeth was overjoyed at the chance to avoid her company for as long as possible.

In the meantime, she asked if they might see their own accommodations as she really wanted to some time on the water today while it was still light. Collins let her know that it was only 7AM local time, so she still had plenty of time, but would have them escorted to their living quarters immediately so they could rest from their journey.

Collins brought them to a series of beachfront cottages Elizabeth felt were something out of a dream. While Collins droned on about how fine the main estate was and how they didn't have a swimming pool, Liz found her attention drawn to the beautiful beach just a few feet away from her front door and could not imagine anything as perfect as her new temporary home. She didn't relish the thought of staying in the drafty mansion when she could be sleeping virtually on the beach anyhow. To her way of thinking, she had the better deal.

Paradise. She would be living in paradise for three months. Right or wrong clothes, she just needed to figure out how to get Collins to shut up already so she could change her clothes and get onto the beach. She wanted to explore and he was wasting their time talking endlessly about everything.

She listened with one ear as he talked about a formal lunch for the other guests of the estate near the deck in a few hours. As that totally did not interest her, she planned to grab a granola bar and go for a run. He excused himself to check on something for the rest of the arriving crew and Elizabeth excused herself to her cabin to change.

She was out not a minute later, sans everything but a deep green single piece bathing suit-which hid her stomach burns and might have shown off her best features, but of which she was totally ignorant. Barefoot, hair swaying in the breeze, she felt right at home as her feet dug into the luscious warm and soft sand. She **had** been listening intently when Collins had explained where the scuba and snorkel gear was and how to get to the small boat house and where the paddle and surf boards were stored.

Not even waiting to see if Chase would be joining her, she raced to where she thought the boathouse would be to grab a snorkel and start her day the right way. On the way there, she found herself laughing and carefree. The happiness was bubbling up inside of her and forced its way out. Staring behind her for a moment to get her bearings, she ran into a large solid object just beyond the thin copse of trees at the shore line. She knew it wasn't a tree, as it has expelled a harsh curse word as she smacked directly into its trunk.

Looking up, she found herself peering into the smoldering gaze of someone she had assumed just a few hours ago that she would never see or hear from again.

"Elizabeth, I'm sorry I didn't call you back, but I figured we could just catch up once you got here...you didn't have to run into me though, I was planning to come see you"

Overwhelmed by his size and what he was doing there, in her dream job, on her dream island, wearing board shorts and a relaxed t-shirt (that looked entirely too good on him), shoeless as well, made her forget every smart comment she could muster as a reply as she boldly stared at him. She was speechless and knew something was expected of her but she couldn't imagine what.

Georgiana found them this way. Completely speechless, breathing labored, staring intently at each other. Liz Bennet wrapped in her brother embrace.

"Nice to see you working fast this time Will... "Your social training for strangers wasn't all a waste then huh?!"

If Georgiana had known how insecure or suspicious of Darcy, Liz Bennet already was, she never would have picked those words. But she didn't know Liz, she had assumed she was a flaky granola hippy who just wanted her brother for his money as George had wanted her for her parents money and she wanted to do whatever possible to make sure no one used her brother. She wanted him to be happy, but she wouldn't suffer some girl who didn't even know how to dress herself properly. Had she not gotten the memo that no self respecting 20 year old wore a one piece in Italy?

Liz pulled herself quickly out of Darcy's arms. Stood up and said coldly to Georgiana before turning to walk back to her cabin "I'm sorry, I don't think you know who or what you are talking about. In such cases, silence is usually a virtue!"

She then turned to Darcy and said:

"Nice to see you Mr. Darcy. Enjoy your vacation together. Sorry I walked into you. I get clumsy when I'm excited. If you'll excuse me, I was on the way to grab a snorkel for the morning."

Before Darcy could finish glaring at his sister for her misstep and insult towards Elizabeth, the girl of his dreams had managed to disappear completely from his line of sight.

Luckily, this wasn't a big island and he knew she couldn't hide from him for very long. She might want to after he killed his sister, but she hoped he would realize he had no choice.

"G-what the hell were you thinking? Are you trying to get me to disown you? Who says crap like that to people they don't even know?"

* * *

Elizabeth ran, at this point, she didn't even known where. Apparently Darcy was intent on being everywhere she didn't want him to be. Ok, well, if she was honest with herself, she wanted him here, but by himself, or preferably by her side! Not teasing her with some girl that was clinging to his arm with an attitude.

Wait, had Darcy not said he was going home to Europe to help his sister? Could that tall, beauty be his little sister? They had different coloring, but now that she thought about it, she could definitely see the family similarities.

Well, this was just great! It took true talent to make yourself look like a complete dork to two people in just 10 minutes. One day soon, she promised herself, she would posses the social graces she so desperately needed. Today however was definitely not that day! Still, no harm in remembering what Darcy looked like in his sexy beach gear. The man knew how to dress for the beach and was nicely covering the body underneath to go with it!

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Stage is set for unicorns and rainbows...it is up to you now! Tell me what day to post the next one, and it shall be done...

Cheers,

M


	30. Chapter 30: Nervous

Sorry everyone for the crazy wait. Real work/life got so busy, and then I lost the chapter during upload and had to start over. Hope this is enough unicorns and rainbows to keep you going for now...:)

Thanks for the reviews, favorites and follows. You really make my day!

Lady M

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**Chapter 30: Nervous**

After a yelling match with his sister than nearly lasted an hour, Darcy was ready to give up her guardianship to Rich and admit his parenting failure.

Somewhere along the way after his parents died and she had been sent to boarding school, his sister had turned into a vicious snob and her treatment of Liz earlier had been entirely uncalled for and rude. He wasn't yet ready to admit to himself that he had felt the same way about her when he saw her in those ridiculous shoes and hat less than two weeks ago when they had first me, but he had.

At present, after grabbing some lemon ice water from the bar, he was ruminating in his favorite overstuffed chair in the formal Rosings library about a certain pair of fine eyes and tousled brown locks when he suddenly remembered that Richard should have already arrived.

He would need all of the help his cousin Richard could provide in reigning in his sister and winning Liz's heart after the embarrassing events of this morning.

He determined that after he spoke to Rich and explained the rather sad state of affairs he had created, he would try to find Liz on her own and explain things. But just when he had started to plan out exactly what he would say to her, he heard bubbling laughter coming from the boat house. Getting up to check out what was going on, he spotted Rich, Liz and Chase all walking slowly from the dock to the main was soaked from head to foot and laughing. Suddenly, Darcy felt like the odd man out.

_Had Liz already found the paddleboards Darcy had managed to have delivered late yesterday afternoon and taken them out? When had Rich arrived? Why was he the only one who was wet? At least she looked happy. Maybe he would finally begin to turn the tide with her?_

Darcy knew the paddleboards were a favorite of Elizabeth and he had wanted to prepare for every possible comfort and happiness for her in advance.

As Darcy got closer, Rich seemed to be retelling a story about slipping off the board when Liz interrupted him telling him that she had no idea the boards were all new and hadn't been properly waxed yet. She apologized profusely and told him she would see to it that before they went out for their next "class" she would take care of all of them.

Liz and Chase seemed to notice Darcy at the same moment and silently froze. His cousin was soon looking at him expectantly. Thankfully, realization came quickly to Rich as he pointed to Liz behind her back with a slight incline of his head in her direction and an inquisitive lift of one brow. The look on Darcy's face in return immediately told him everything he needed to know about the real reason Darcy has insisted he come to San Rosings as soon as the jet was fueled and ready to fetch him.

Richard tried to break the awkward silence by asking Elizabeth if she was prepared for the formal lunch on the veranda that was called for just 45 minutes.

Her answer surprised him. "Oh, I thought that was optional, and my body thinks it is the middle of the night. I think I'll just grab a granola bar or something and lie down or maybe go for a run."

"What? But our Aunt Catherine really wants to meet you!"

"Our Aunt? You and Darcy are related? and related to Catherine?"

"Yes, she is our Aunt. I mean, why else would we be here?"

"Um, I don't know, I hadn't really considered it to be honest."

"Well, yes, we come every year- a family pilgrimage of sorts to behold the great spectacle of the launch of the season of the Lady Anne. Did I understand that you are part of the crew?

"Yes, Chase is the Captain and I'm his First Mate."

"First mate and more importantly she's also my girlfriend" added a gloating Chase towards Darcy.

"Chase!"

"Sorry Liz, I..."

"No, forget about it. Let's stop talking about it. I'm going to go back to my cabin to change. Richard, Darcy -thank you for your stimulating company. It was truly illuminating. Enjoy your lunch and send my warmest regards to your Aunt."

"Liz, I know I haven't had the pleasure of your company as long as Darcy, but I must tell you that lunch isn't exactly optional. You'll spend the next few months hating your job if you don't attend. In fact, I would be willing to bet Darcy's entire fortune on that."

"Rich, how truly magnanimous of you to bet my fortune in this instance, but Liz, if you'll let me explain..."

"Sorry to interrupt Darcy, but be that as it may, I may have to spend the next few months avoiding both your aunt and her lunches. Sadly, someone failed to mention the grand nature of our adventure here in Italy and I regret that I have not a single suitable thing packed for a formal luncheon!"

"Aha!" yelled Rich

"Aha what?" answered Liz.

"Aha, Darcy has a solution?" he answered in return.

To which Liz replied: " Darcy, do you always let your cousin speak for you? Rich, what did you mean when you said Darcy had a solution to my lack of a dress? Don't you think if he did, he would have told me so himself? And don't you also think it is highly unlikely that the head of a Swiss bank is a secret cross dresser? I'm sure the tabloids would have figured that out by now, no?"

With this Darcy finally spoke, or made some hint of his ability to speak, he laughed instead. He found her so amusing and refreshing in fact, he couldn't stop laughing.

As he was laughing, Elizabeth turned to Chase and asked him if he "thought Darcy was the cross dressing type, or if it was only her that had apparently misjudged him?"

Hearing this, Darcy stopped laughing and addressed her directly.

"Liz, as usual, you misunderstand. Please, allow me to explain. First, Rich knows of my inability to converse easily with strangers and is used to trying to assist me in such situations. I believe he didn't realize we had already met and spent some time together in LA. Second, allow me to please apologize for your interaction with my little sister Georgiana this morning. As you know, she has recently suffered a, um, rather grave ordeal and is still not herself. And lastly, the solution that Rich was kind enough to offer on my behalf, has nothing to do with my wardrobe, which I do welcome you to borrow, but in which I can assure you, there is nothing feminine or suitable for your figure."

Hearing this, Liz found herself crossing her arms over her body in uncomfortable self consciousness.

Darcy began again, "However, that little sister with the attitude I mentioned previously is something of a fashion expert and would love nothing more than a chance to apologize to you herself for her behavior this morning. I can't think of a better way to do that -than through clothing-at least not for G. Would you be willing to put up with a spoiled and attention starved 19 year old girl for half an hour?"

"Well, I..."

"Elizabeth, please. It would really mean a lot to me." With that he held out his hand, begging her to accept his humble apology and effectively cutting Chase completely in one fluid motion.

"Well, when you put it that way, I guess I can't refuse and I am admittedly missing my sisters right now. Especially Jane, Mr. Darcy. I'm sure you can understand missing Jane can't you? She is truly extraordinary, is she not?"

Darcy felt a jolt run through him when she had accepted his hand. Now it was more like a current, burning him with the innocent accusation about Jane that she seemed to be throwing at his feet.

_Would nothing he did ever satisfy this woman?_

Still, having been successful as stealing her away from Chase, for whom she barely gave a backwards glance and wave, Darcy felt like the afternoon would already be assuredly better than the morning.

As they approached Georgiana's room, Liz pulled her hand away from Darcy's, drawing his immediate attention. She stopped in the corridor, looked up at him and asked if perhaps this maybe was not such a great idea?

Darcy looked right and left ensuring their privacy before them both towards an ugly family portrait on the far wall. Elizabeth suddenly found herself backed up against very expensive velvet wallpaper, with Darcy's strong stare hovering right before her eyes.

Unsure if he intended to lecture her or beat her, his whole being was causing her senses to panic. Just being near him was a little bit of torture, but being this close was infinitely worse.

Right when she was about to question him as to his motives, he leaned down and kissed her. Darcy threw two weeks of pent up emotion and longing into that kiss. He found her soft, warm, inviting and to his utter delight, responsive as hell.

For about half a second Liz found herself thinking about Chase. Remembering his kisses and realizing again that they had felt nothing like this. Whatever this connection was with Darcy, she could no longer deny it. She wouldn't let him use her or play with her emotions though and she definitely needed to bring whatever was going on with Chase to full closure. What she had with Darcy, she didn't have with Chase and as much as she loved him, she couldn't manufacture the romantic feelings to go along with their friendship.

For the second time, Elizabeth Bennet found herself completely overwhelmed in a kiss from William Darcy. As his lips caressed hers over and over and his tongue explored her mouth, her mind was stuck on trying to understand what alternate universe she had just landed in, and what was happening to her and what had possibly possessed him to kiss her. The feelings he was evoking in her were so foreign, she felt as if she might slide down the wall soon if he didn't hold her up.

Darcy was quickly losing control. He had fisted his hands in her silky hair, her mouth was like paradise and as much as he knew he should, he could not make himself stop. He knew this was neither the time nor the place, but he finally had Liz Bennet where he wanted her and she wasn't fighting him or teasing him, so he wanted to savor the moment and just enjoy her.

Darcy noticed movement out of the corner of his eye and quickly ended what he had started. Rich was just coming down the hallway from his own suite of rooms towards them but had been looking down at his shoes and Darcy did not think he had noticed them.

In the meantime, Liz was staring at him with the most confused look on her face. He was focused on making things appear normal to Rich, but thought he heard her say "If only I was Caroline" as he turned them to walk all together towards G's room. He quietly said "later", which she did not acknowledge but he was certain she heard.

"I was, um, just showing Liz some of the family portraits...you changed very quickly from your little swim."

"Well, I have to make sure Liz doesn't get eaten by our little dependent...don't I?"

"She isn't that bad Rich."

"She can be when she gets in a mood. Paris Hilton has nothing on G when she doesn't get her way."

"Rich, you are scaring Liz."

"No, I'm preparing her. That way when G is a perfect lady, she'll be pleasantly surprised."

"Guys, I hate to break it to you, but I do have 3 younger sisters-I'm certain I can hold my own here."

"True, but do your sisters have trust funds the size of small countries? No, I didn't think so. G can be a handful, I just wanted to warn you."

"Lucky for me, money is of little or no importance, so I'll happily put her in her place if she pulls the money card on me. Now can we please go, we don't want to be late for this "holy" lunch right?"

Darcy knocked of G's door and was met with silence. After knocking again, he let himself in. What Lizzy saw was so upsetting. The girl who appeared to have everything -the most beautiful suite of rooms, furniture, money, power, was alone, sitting on her perfect white couch with her head in her hands, in tears.

Not the monster that Liz was expecting, she took a deep breath and asked the guys to quickly leave. And unhappy teenage girl was a subject she felt she could handle fairly well, but this girl clearly didn't need her older brother and cousin hanging out with them to do it.

"Georgiana, right?"

"Yes", she answered as she dried her eyes on her sleeves

"I'm Elizabeth, although most people call me Beni or you could call me Liz like your brother."

"I know who you are. What I don't know is what you want?"

"What I want?"

"Yeah, I saw you kissing my brother in the hallway just now. Don't treat me like I'm 12 OK. I'm not an idiot. I read all about you online. Engineering prodigy, sailing geek, yoga instructor. I also know that none of those things fit with my brother. So you must want or need something from him. Using me to get to him is a cheap trick by the way. But then what do I know, people use us all the time apparently"...and with that, she went back to crying.

"Wow. Rather than feeling insulted or hurt. Liz felt terrible. Terrible for what she had said to Georgiana this morning and terrible for how badly this girl had to feel to say what she she had just said to a stranger."

No stranger herself to childhood angst or feeling like an outsider, Elizabeth decided that while she was at Rosings, Georgiana Darcy was going to be her project. Whatever her feelings for her brother were aside, this girl clearly needed help and after dealing with her own insecurities and helping her younger sisters through their most trying growing up years, she could certainly give this a try.

Handing Georgiana a tissue, Lizzy stood above her and softly grabbed her hands to pick her up. Once on her feet, Liz wrapped her arms around her and gave her the most motherly hug and caress she could. Georgiana melted into her. They stayed like that for long minutes. As Georgiana cried, Liz continued to hug and pat her. She also told her she would not let go. For two people who didn't know each other well, worlds passed between them in that simple touch.

As Georgiana moved to break their hug, she sat down again and pulled Liz to sit down next to her.

"Thank you..."

"Really, there is no need to thank me. But I would like to talk to you..."

"You would?"

"Yes, I would."

"Why?"

"Why?"

"Yes, Why?"

Well, because I have three little sisters of my own. Because I can tell you are really hurting and the way you show it is to lash out at people. Because I had a horrible accident myself a few years ago and spent a lot of time alone after that -and while not the same as losing your parents as young as you did, I do understand the feelings. Because you seem like a sweet girl with a lot on her shoulders and maybe I can help you. Is that enough?"

"I didn't hear you mention my brother in there or how much he is going to pay you"

"Pay me? I would never befriend someone for money. He wasn't in there, because I wouldn't know what to say about it. He has kissed me, twice. Once he thought I was someone else. Today, or rather a few minutes ago, I have no idea what on earth that was. Officially, I actually have a boyfriend -but he doesn't kiss like , oh my gosh, what am I telling you all of this for. Your brother is, he is, um, he is a casual friend I met in LA less than two weeks ago. In fact, he was my boss for about 5 minutes until the US government decided otherwise. But enough about your brother and about me. Let's talk about you. Well, actually, we need to focus on me for one more minute. Your brother and Rich brought me up here so you could help me with some clothes for the mandatory luncheon. I admit it, I'm a beach bum at heart, just like you said this morning. I wear plastic shoes and fisherman's hats and I didn't know how formal San Rosings would be, or that there would be luncheons. We have 14 minutes before your Aunt hates me...so um, can you help?"

"Of course I can. Clothes is something I can always help with."

"Take everything you have on off and let's start from there."

"Well, I, um. Can I keep this on until I change into whatever you give me?"

"Don't be shy in front of me, really I don't care what label they are, just take off what you are wearing, I can't think with you wearing it in front of me."

"I have horrible scars on my stomach. Please, really, I don't show them to anyone."

"Oh, I had no idea. I'm so sorry. Forget what I said. Just put this tank dress on in the bathroom over there and come out. We'll work from there."

No longer self conscious, Liz emerged from the bathroom and G proceeded to put together an outfit for a formal luncheon.

Tailored lavender silk skirt, beautiful heels, a stunning linen shirt, a long necklace and an elegant cuff. She also twisted Liz's hair into an elegant and purposefully messy chignon. In less than 10 minutes G had Liz looking like an Italian supermodel.

Looking at herself in the mirror, she couldn't believe the transformation. Into the mirror she repeated _Ok, this is going to be fine. You are going to be fine. _ "G-Can you tell me what to expect please? I'm kind of nervous."

As they left her room, G and Liz walked quickly to the grand staircase to take them to the eastern veranda...

"Seriously Liz, Don't be nervous, Will loves..."

"Will loves what G?"

She suddenly saw Richard and Will coming up behind her and unsure of what was going on, or how this girl could be so clueless about Wills' feelings towards her, she still decided to stay quiet and say something else.

"Will loves lunch with my Aunt. What, stop looking at me like that. Favorite pastime of his. Yes, really! He gets grilled on everything in our lives by an overbearing and out of touch family matron and gets to feel inferior about every decision he has made about his own life and mine. Just wait until she starts to ask him when he is finally going to get married and bring her great nieces and nephews. I think that might be my favorite part."

Ending her monologue, she looked up at her brother with the innocence of a bank robber. He laughed off her mocking statement and told Liz not to be nervous. That what his sister said was true in that his Aunt normally spent so much time harassing him, there would be little other conversation.

Liz then asked him why he would vacation here if she was so unpleasant to be around. Surely a man of his means and station had other places to be. The three of them looked at her like she was a simpleton, but no one spoke. Finally, Rich answered and said: "I should think it was obvious but I'm not going to spoil the surprise."

Bewildered but realizing they were about to be late, Liz asked them to stop teasing her and kindly direct her to the Eastern veranda. Afterall, she had a new boss to impress-without tripping over her heels or using the wrong spoon...and a pseudo boyfriend/true best friend to somehow break up with who deserved better than she could give him.

Darcy maneuvered himself to be standing next to Liz as they walked towards the covered veranda. He wanted to send a clear message to Chase and to his Aunt, that Liz was officially his.

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P.S. Hope you liked it!


	31. Chapter 31: Unimpressed

Thanks for the lovely reviews! Please keep them coming...

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**Chapter 31: Unimpressed**

"Darcy, you're late. And I don't remember you asking me if you could bring a guest...Georgiana, Richard, I'm so glad you decided to grace us with your presence. Two minutes late, no less. Tisk, tisk, this family prides itself on many things, punctuality is one of them. Do try to make us proud from now on, shall we?"

At that moment, Elizabeth couldn't decide if she should gasp or gloat. The imposing woman who had made herself known could clearly be none other than Darcy's Aunt Catherine –but she was also technically Liz's new boss.

Unable to swallow her pride or her disgust, she answered the rude challenge the only way she knew how, with some ascerbic wit of her own.

"Excuse me Ms. De Bourge, I don't think we have been properly introduced. I'm Elizabeth Bennet, First Mate of the_ Lady Anne_ and your newest employee. Thank you so much for graciously hosting me in your beautiful home while I get to know the rest of the crew and the boat. I'm so excited to be a part of everything. I had a lovely tour of the family wing from Georgie and Darcy earlier and your estate is exceptional. My sister is a curator at the Getty and I have always loved 17th century artwork. Your family portraits from that period are truly exquisite."

"Bennet did you say? Would you be that engineering prodigy that Collins could not stop gloating about having captured for our crew?"

"Um, well, I don't know about prodigy, but yes, I'm the engineer and sailor. Collins in my cousin, but I've been sailing longer than I've known him. We lived on different sides of the US for most of our lives. "

"In my day, women did not pursue the sciences, and we didn't race sailboats, it was considered unladylike. Now, hold out your hands please. "

"My hands?"

"Yes, your hands. I want to see how accustomed you are to the hard labor required on my boat!"

"Is this an secondary public interview or a dog and pony show?"

"Well, don't you think that for what I'm paying you, I should be allowed to inspect the merchandise?"

"No, actually, I don't. I'm not a 5 year old that needs to be scolded with her hand caught in the cookie jar. In fact, I don't even like cookies. I am 26, with a Masters Degree, a patent pending engine technology and the woman who has never lost a single race to your new Captain. If you don't want me on the team, I'll be more than happy to leave now. Just say the word."

Darcy suddenly had the urge to reach out and hold Lizzie's hand. Then he realized he didn't need to hold her hand or offer her comfort. She was standing up to his aunt, all on her own and doing just fine. In fact, better than he had done for himself or Georgiana in recent years. In fact, maybe she would give him comfort the next time he felt he needed to go to battle with the old lady. As he looked at her though, Liz's normally reflective eyes looked like they were about to spew fire and he sensed he needed to say something to diffuse the situation quickly.

"Aunt, had Collins not invited Liz to the crew, I would have suggested it myself. I've see Liz sail and to her credit, I've also seen her engine designs. You want her on the team. Trust me when I say this, your investment in the _Lady Anne_ needs the addition only Liz can bring."

Liz stood defiant, waiting for the decision on her fate, but Darcy happily detected a small crack in her armor. The hands she held behind her back were shaking ever so slightly. Perhaps Lizzie Bennet wasn't truly the fire breathing dragon antagonist to his aunt that she made herself out to be.

Catherine De Bourge looked down at the petite young woman who seemed hell bent on defying her authority and her expertise. She knew though that if she gave in to her temper and chased this little nothing off the island, she would have more enemies on the crew than she could handle. Still, how to save face without making it seem as if the impertinent chit had won this round?

_Ah, she suddenly knew exactly how. Reduce her to lowly pond scum and make sure she knows her place, along with every other guest and employee here._

"Georgiana ?"

"Yes, Aunt Catherine?"

"Kindly escort Miss Bennet to the staff table on the outskirts of the veranda. We'll welcome them later when the formal luncheon is finished. All of the hired help and crew is eating together as usual. And while Miss Bennet is here, maybe you can make an hour a week available to teach her refined deportment and table manners. I am sure she could benefit from your childhood classes."

Liz had in mind to walk out right then and there. In fact, she thought about slapping the crazy old bat in front of all of her guests, but just as she completely lost her temper, she felt a hand on the small of her back. It was the electric hand of William Darcy, she knew from the bolt of current it sent down her spine the moment he made contact. As he quickly led her away from his aunt to where his sister was standing, he whispered in the ear that was slightly turned away from his aunt, "forgive her, she doesn't realize she isn't the Queen and that you are not a loyal subject. We want you here, please stay."

Before she could respond to discuss his statement further, Catherine called on William to join him at the table and she found herself staring at a hopeful Georgiana by her side. Georgiana seemed to know exactly how Liz was feeling and thinking and quickly blurted out: "Please don't pay any attention to my Aunt. She is truly a wretched woman, But I really like you Lizzie Bennet and I would be so devastated if you left. I'm just getting to know you, but I can see you and I will be spending a lot of time together and I really hope we'll become friends."

As inclined as she was to leave and put her new boss in her place, she was just an inclined to stay for Georgiana, for the chance to sail the _Lady Anne_ and for the chance to hang out with Chase and let her mind relax for the next few months. As long as she was being honest with herself, getting to stare at Darcy during that time wasn't exactly a negative on her list either.

She resolved to stay, if nothing else, then for Georgiana. She liked the girl –as she reminded her a bit of her youngest and silliest sister –in need of some direction, but a good girl with her heart in the right place. As they were walking towards the table of the apparently lesser important members of the luncheon, Liz caught a glimpse of the rest of the crew from the Nemesis, and she got a sudden feeling of her large social fauxpas.

The crew were all wearing starched dress whites of the San Rosings yacht club and their mandatory jackets. Liz looked entirely out of place in her posh borrowed clothes as a member of the crew.

Georgiana gave her an encouraging hug and then left her when she reached Chase, but not before she gave Chase a thorough once over. Chase returned her admiration until Beni jabbed him in the stomach and reminded him she was off limits and under-age.

Chase rolled his eyes and asked her where she had been and why she was late.

Telling him it was a long story that she wanted to discuss later, she asked if he would first introduce the rest of the crew to her and if they could please eat as she was now officially starving. Apparently, going to battle with her new boss created a serious appetite!

As Liz sat down next to Chase, she noticed Darcy intensely staring at her with a look she could not place. She stared back until Georgiana whispered something in her brother's ear and he turned his attention to his Aunt who was trying to control the table as usual. She noticed his head was bent over the table suddenly and she demanded to herself that she stop thinking about it and about him.

She tried to listen to the conversations spiraling around her. The crew was made up of a multinational team of which she was somewhat expectantly the only woman. Apparently, Chase had not wasted any time letting them all know she was officially off limits. She still had to figure out when would be the best time to speak to him and end whatever it was they had started.

A white gloved waiter suddenly appeared by her side and handed her a drink that she thought looked like a long island ice tea. Not thinking drinking on the job was a good idea, she hadn't ordered it. She told him he hadn't asked for it. He told her it was sent by Georgiana. He made a point of handing her the napkin separately and she noticed it had handwriting on it. Neat, script that looked almost like it had been written by a machine.

**_Liz, Please meet me by the trees near the dock in 20 minutes? D_**

She looked up and saw Darcy scanning her face for an answer. She smiled at him. He stopped looking at her so intensely and managed a sort of harsh smile in return.

_What the hell was she doing?_ Chase put his arm around her chair and leaned into her hair to whisper in her ear. She needed to handle this situation with him and she needed to handle it fast. She asked Chase is they could go talk quickly by the water for a minute. As the veranda was open at the lower section where they were sitting, it would not be a problem to slip away.

She grabbed his hand as she had done countless times before, before things had gotten weird and dragged him behind her towards a small covered area that would provide some privacy.

"Chase, listen I."

"No, Beni, actually listen to me first."

"No Chase, I need to say this."

"Ok, I'm listening B..."

"Chase, this isn't right between us. I don't feel that way about you. I never have. I can't keep pretending to you that I do."

She looked right at him as she said "I love you so much, but like my brother. When you kissed me, it was, well, it just felt wrong. I have to believe I am not breaking your heart here, but that you feel the same way about me. I know you think you love me, and I believe you do, but you love me like you are a part of my family, not like a girlfriend, or potential mother of your children. Ok, I can't believe I just said that, but seriously, look at me. Do you want to have sex when you look at me, or do you want to take care of me when you look at me and be my friend? Ok, and answer or an acknowledgement of what I just said would help me feel like I didn't just cut out your heart and rip it into tiny pieces by being honest. If nothing else, we said we would always be honest."

"Beni, as sad as I am to admit it, you are right. I want to love you. I do love you, but as a sister. I agree. Kissing you felt, well, I felt like I should be arrested for kissing my little sister. Even though I'm only taller, and not bigger, it still felt wrong."

"So dude, if you feel the same as me, what is the deal with all the lovey dovey boyfriend crap? And what got into you with the ego fest with Darcy? That is so not you Chase?!"

"Beni, I had myself convinced for such a long time that I was romantically in love with you, that giving it up after playing the game just felt like I was a loser. Most of it was ego. Do you hate me for admitting that? It also felt good to beat Darcy at something. Does the guy really have to win at everything? You aren't seriously going to be arm candy for the man are you? I'm sure I don't have to tell you how he normally treats his woman –or maybe I do since I do't even think you know what a tabloid is. But seriously B, you can't be serious about him?!"

"Chase, I have no idea what I am about anything. I just knew that I couldn't let things stay so undecided and weird between us. I still don't think Darcy cares about me at all. I think I'm just a woman in front of him who conveniently happens to be here on a weird Mediterranean island of men with only his Aunt and his sister for female companionship. What would he even see in me? Wait, you know what, let's not even have this conversation, it is really just so ridiculous.

Darcy is a distraction and one I can't take very seriously. Whatever will happen will happen, you and I will go home and everyone will forget about it. Speaking of which, his little sister, Georgiana is very sweet. Don't look at me like that, she is also delicate and had just been through a rough time. Do not do anything stupid Chase –seriously. No casual hookups. I don't think she could take it. My advice is spend the next few months figuring out what you want Chase and sat away from her. OK, I'm serious. I like her already and I don't want to see her get hurt."

"Ok B, should I give you the same advice you just gave me?

Darcy doesn't know how to treat women from what I can see. He and I are no different and I say this because I love you, he'll hurt you when he sees your scars. He won't mean to, I mean I don't think he is that much of an ass, but he normally dates super models.

You deserve someone who will really love you B, scars and all. Not someone who will freak out and run. If it were me, and my heart was fragile, like I know yours is, I would stay the hell away from William Darcy. I don't see what you have to gain here and I'll be picking up the pieces when it ends.

I'll do it happily, but still. I would rather see you with someone, well, worthy."

Darcy didn't see exactly where Beni had gone with Chase but he knew she hadn't yet come back. He also knew it had been 20 minutes and this was not what he had planned when he had asked her to meet him near the trees. He wanted more from her. The kiss in the hallway was still spinning in his head, but in a very short time he found himself obsessed with being with her, all the time, and even more so after what he sister had just told him about the time they spent together in Georgiana's suite getting ready, he found he loved her even more. Was he even aware of the fact that the L word had crept on on him until he was using it in his head freely. This woman had introduced pure insanity into his rigidly controlled life.

He came upon them as Chase seemed to be leaving. The last thing he heard was about being with someone "_worthy"_. As he passed Chase and approached Elizabeth, Chase grabbed his arm. Unaccustomed to being touched, Darcy looked him straight in the eye ready to put him in his place. Chase did not have the look of someone who wanted to fight, but rather that of a concerned friend.

"Darcy, I love her, like a sister and she's more fragile than she looks. I beg you, just leave her alone and don't hurt her." With that, he released Darcy's arm, took a long look back at Beni and walked back towards the veranda.

Liz seemed to be deep in thought sitting in a chair closer to the water. Darcy came up behind her and was going to surprise her with a huge or a kiss when he heard the soft sounds of her crying.

He pulled himself up beside her and sat down in the warm sand. "Range of emotions today, Liz?"

"Oh, sorry, I didn't realize I wasn't alone. Oh, was I supposed to meet you? I lost track of the time. I'm.. I'm... sorry."

"Please, don't apologize, I see you have bigger things on your mind right now than having a secret stolen romantic moment with me."

Liz looked up at him suddenly and didn't know what to say. He smiled at her and proceeded to wipe away the tears he saw on her face with his fingertips.

"Listen Darcy I..."

"Yes, Liz, you what?"

"I um, I don't know what you want from me, or what you think this is. But I don't think I can give you what you want here."

"Liz, why do you walk around assuming what everyone else needs and wants? What about what you want?"

"What I want?"

"Yes, Liz, what you want. What do you want?"

"I want to stop staring at you all the time like my mind can't look away. I want to stop thinking about you and imagining you kissing me. I want to stop fantasizing about some ridiculous relationship I know you don't want and wouldn't know how to be in even if you did. I want to feel so incredibly loved by my partner that the scars that mar my stomach don't matter at all, even though I know that to be impossible because my scars make even me sick to look at. I want to love someone so completely that it hurts.

That is what I want. So now that you know that the scientist in my head is at war with the stupid romance starved 16 year old in my heart, can you just leave me alone and stop kissing me in dark hallways? Because I need to function and have a reasonable hope for a happy and fulfilling life by myself when I leave here and you and your sexy hair and your stolen kisses are seriously not helping me do that."

Darcy was tongue tied and awestruck at her words.

She quickly got up and made to leave the area they had been sitting in. Darcy grabbed her hand and pulled her right down into his lap.

She was not the person he had thought she was. But he did recognize an invitation when he saw it and he planned to rise to her challenge right now.

So she thought his hair was sexy and she liked his kisses? Well, it wasn't enough, and it certainly wasn't as much as he felt about her, but it was a start he planned to advance more thoroughly right now.

He looked into her eyes, captured her face in his hands and pressed his nose gently to hers. "Trust me, it hurts already Liz..."

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Another update by Sunday...crazy week of RL ahead...

Thanks again for all of the reader love. Reviews, favorites and follows motivate me to sleep less and write more as always...

Ciao bella...

M


	32. Chapter 32: Besotted

Sorry for the wait. I have imagined this conversation about 50 different ways in my head. This is the one that stuck. Hope you enjoy it. Thanks for the reviews, feedback and support of this story via favorite/following. Makes my day and inspires me to keep up with the writing.

I'm sorry every day can't be unicorns and rainbows...but you do know where we are headed right? I promise more unicorn land soon. Liz just needs some time to figure herself our and get over her body issues. I'm sure none of us can relate to that of course...

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**Chapter 32: Besotted**

Oblivion. She was kissed beyond reason in those short minutes that felt like forever and she never wanted them to end. He was so delicate, so tender, so loving; it was hard to imagine this was the same pretentious Darcy she had known in LA.

As he pulled back to look at her, after kissing her thoroughly, she realized her hair had come undone, or he had taken it down and he seemed intent to take it with him, or stay as connected to her as possible with it.

Liz was suddenly petrified. Darcy certainly knew how to kiss and how to say all the right things, but most likely, he was going to turn out like all of the other men in her life since the accident.

Full of pretty words until her heart got broken and he realized the truth about her. That her body was damaged and ugly and that she was frigid and useless.

She was so torn sitting in his lap. Nothing had every felt so right and yet, she barely knew this man beyond what everyone told her about him as a rich boy ladies man who dated super models.

"Darcy, please.."

"No more talking."

"No Darcy, I'm serious..."

"So am I. I hate when you call me Darcy, please, go back to calling Will."

"I find that incredibly challenging when you have your tongue in my ear."

At that, Darcy pulled back and looked at her hard, perhaps trying to stare her into acceptance.

"Liz, stop trying to solve all of the world's problems. Just enjoy this, whatever it is."

"Will, I told you I don't do casual Mediterranean flings, or whatever you think this is. Were you not listening to me before? That wasn't just some empty speech."

"I know it wasn't just a speech, but forgive me if I'm not ready to ask you to marry me yet. We still have to take the time to get to know one another, to build a relationship. The best time to do that is now, don't you think?"

"I think that your Aunt considers you her personal pet and me a slug she wants to crush under her shoe. I am here in a professional capacity and I can't have you compromising me or my position. Don't look at me like that. I'm serious. I worked hard to get where I am and I take my job seriously!"

"Liz, you do realize that I could buy you a Lady Anne right now, of your own, as a happy Tuesday present if I wanted to and I wouldn't even miss the money?"

"Don't throw your money around at me, it doesn't impress me. It just makes me feel like a commoner that should curtsy when you walk in the room. Your incredibly attractive euro accent does not help!"

"Have I ever made you feel like less than me?"

"Well, telling me you could buy me a yacht as a "_Happy Tuesday_" present didn't exactly help!"

"But have I ever belittled you, or what you do, or where you come from?"

"You didn't have to, I do it enough myself and I'm not an idiot abut how different we are!"

"Liz, you must allow me to express how ardently I like you."

"Dictionary speak again there Will."

"Ok Liz, here it is straight. I think I love you. No, in fact, I know I love you. There, I said it. I love you Elizabeth Bennet. All of your ridiculousness –like your plastic purple shoes and your fisherman's hat and the fact that my whole world is new to you. The fact that you don't know which utensil to eat escargot with and that you are still filled with a sense of wonder and hope when everyone and everything else around you had ceased to be amazed or shine. I know, this is all incredibly sappy and I sound ridiculous, but I need to tell you how I feel and you need to listen. We have had far too few conversations in the last two weeks, although we have kissed more than we have conversed and that isn't always a bad thing either. Liz, you are not a fling, or a convenience. I care about you deeply and I simply want even more now, no matter who you are, where you come from, how much money you have or don't and what scars you have physical or emotional. I can handle it all if you'll agree to be with me."

"I...wow..I don't really know how to respond to that."

"Honesty is the best policy, no?"

"Well, I had no idea you actually had feelings for me...so I am, somewhat unprepared to have this conversation right now."

"You didn't know I had feelings for you? What? How can that be? Do you think I regularly walk around kissing women I barely know?"

"Ha, see, you admit you barely know me, so there is no way you can love me."

"Stop twisting my words Liz. Do you not believe in love at first sight?"

"Are you trying to tell me when you saw me in my plastic shoes and fisherman's hat it was love at first sight? Seriously, don't lie to me. I saw the way you visually dressed me down when you looked at me."

"Liz, you saw what you wanted to see. That is not how I looked or look at you."

"And what about Jane? Jane is a mess. I spoke to her only this morning. She said that after Charles left, he didn't even have the decency to call! I heard what you said to him when he was on my balcony. I don't think he realized it was shared with Jane's so I heard it all. Why would you do that? Jane isn't like me. She is as straightforward as they come –and they seemed to really like each other. What was the big emergency that he had to leave LA for if you didn't even bring him with you?

I am not going to lie Darcy. You are such an enigma to me; I don't know what to believe. The only thing I do know is that I don't think I can handle a relationship with you. You will no doubt dump me, most likely when you really see my scars, or when I eat something with the wrong fork and embarrass your family and when that happens, I'll be a mess. Because I don't know how to live or love lightly, or temporarily or on a trial basis. You seem to hurt the people who care about you too often, and I'm too scared of getting hurt to try."

With that, Liz attempted to climb out of his lap. She had almost stood up; when he decided he wasn't going to accept her continuing to doubt him.

"Liz, about Charles I..."

"Please, don't. I don't want to say anything more than we'll both regret."

"Fine, no more talking then."

He got up, brushed the sand off of him and made his way up to where she was now standing over him. He could see she was teetering on the verge of giving in. He figured if he pushed her a little harder, she would no doubt be happy to be back in his arms.

"Hey, I thought I just told you to stop kissing me. That was not you not kissing me. That was you making love to my lips. Seriously, stop. ! can't, we can't."

"Does that mean you are going to stand here and tell me you didn't like? That your body is screaming for mine like mine is for yours? Don't lie to yourself Liz. You can lie to me about whatever else you want, but don't lie to yourself about that."

"I apparently have a hard time telling the truth when your hands are in my hair"

"Well, get used to it, because I love your hair and I can't seem to take my hands away from it."

"Ok, Darcy, let me try again. I don't know anything about you other than what there is to gleam from Google and what is there, I don't' like. I don't do casual relationships. You seemingly broke Charlie and my sister up because you think she is a gold digger, or not good enough for him or whatever, but aren't applying the same rules for yourself here with me. Which either means you are a hypocrite or a liar. Then there is all the stuff that guy Wickham said which I don't know what to think about. You have "relationship train wreck" written all over you and I can't get hurt, I won't survive it. So please, make my excuses to your aunt –who I know will probably be grateful if I don't show up back at that luncheon. I'm going to my cabin-and no, to be totally clear, that is not an invite for you to join me."

With that she dismissed him, turned away from him, quickly bent to take her heels off and then scampered away barefoot on the sand like a child happily free from adult supervision.

_OK_, Darcy thought to himself. _That was a train wreck. This woman makes me into a train wreck. What the hell. Not only did he not understand women, he did not understand this one at all._ He thought for a moment if it was worth pursuing her, or if he should just let it go as she was clearly not interested?

He tried to imagine her life two weeks ago before he had met her. His heart had been ice cold. Sure, he had had women, but he hadn't ever felt like this about anyone. He didn't relish what he was feeling now, but he also knew that if he could push past whatever her issues were, they could be amazing together. His heart was burning, but at least he was feeling something. Anything was better than the bitter cold and emptiness he had felt in all of his relationships before. She was worth it; he would fight for her, for them and they would both win.

Now, he just had to figure out how to reach her and make her understand. Getting more physical with her was clearly not the answer. Would Fitz or Gigi know better how to help him? Maybe neither, Chase probably knew her best. But how could he get the information he needed from Chase without potentially pissing him off again and starting another ego war with the guy?


	33. Chapter 33: Siege

***Author Warning*: You may hate me once you read this chapter. I apologize in advance. If you do, please leave me a note or message in the reviews and tell me why. I think we had to go this way, but I am willing to listen to reasons why not. etc. ideas/angst/dialog/rants all acceptable forms of reviews. **

**I still don't own anything...(but I don't think we can justifiably hate JA for this chapter!) **

**ENJOY!**

**M**

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**Chapter 33: ****Siege**

What had Darcy done to her heart?

As Elizabeth laid down on the chaise lounge of her private roof deck and stared out at the perfect sea, she could feel her heart fluttering quickly under her hand, she had placed it there a moment ago to make sure she was still breathing.

Unaccustomed to all of this recent male attention, or a siege of male attention like Darcy seemed to be attempting in an effort to win her over, Liz was willing to be honest enough with herself to admit that she had never felt like this before and did not know exactly what to make of it.

That he should have a smart comeback for every question, that he should apparently feel as strongly for her as he said he did, how could it be?

She knew she had not imagined it, he had actually used the word_ love_ and more than once! How could he love her? He barely knew her.

What kind of love could that be? And he continually dismissed her scars as trivial to him. Obviously he had not properly seen them yet. As she knew from experience and previous attempts to have relationships – that once he saw them, he would run and the rest would not matter.

But back to the heart of the matter. She had resolved to ignore the needs of her own heart and sail through life relationship free, understanding that any attempt at love and a serious relationship would leave her battered and bruised. How had she come to let herself have feelings for this man? Someone she just met a few weeks ago. What would she do when he completely broke her heart and dismissed her and whatever feelings he thought he had for her?

She knew exactly what she would do. She would founder and be lost at sea. She knew this, and yet her heart called on her to give him one chance. One chance to prove that maybe he could go the distance. One chance so she would never be plagued with "what if"? The idea that a wealthy upper crust Swiss banker, from old money, who had everything and apparently everyone at his fingertips and yet still wanted her, was nearly preposterous. But she argued with herself, that the risk of letting her guard down and taking one chance was relatively small? Of taking such a risk for a man, such a he was, wasn't that worth it?

_The harm, you lovesick idiot, is in risking your own heart_...she scolded herself. _How will you feel if you put yourself out there and he rejects you_? _Or laughs at you, or feels pity for you and stays out of some weird sense of guilt? How will you feel though if you never risk enough of yourself to know? But what about Jane and Charlie and all of the horrible things Wickham had told her_?_ Didn't that side of Darcy prove her was the manipulative ass she thought he was? That as soon as she let him get any closer, he would leave her and her heart in pieces, sinking to the bottom of the sea?_

It was almost too much to think about and consider. Why was there no owner's manual she could read for relationships?

She had changed out of clothes she borrowed from G's and laid them out on the bed downstairs. She slipped into cut-off jean shorts, an old UCLA sailing t-shirt and had her signature fisherman's hat on her head. She wasn't wearing a bra, but she was on the covered rooftop deck of her own villa, so she didn't think that mattered. She thought the rooftop deck afforded her privacy and that no one would ever bother her up there. She also thought an outdoor nap or an attempt to read an oceanography book would be useful to help herself clear her mind and work her way through this problem.

She certainly hadn't realized that Darcy had been coming to San Rosings since he was a child and knew every inch of the island. She hadn't imagined that when he was a teenager, he had personally climbed to the roof of his favorite cabin with his cousin Rich to get drunk and share stories away from the prying eyes of his uncle and Aunt and when he was alive, even his own stoic father. His favorite cabin was of course, number 27, at the edge of the row, because it had the best view. It was also the one Liz now found herself the proud owner of for the next 3 months.

* * *

After Darcy had spoken to Chase at length and assured him of his strong feelings for Elizabeth, then convinced him of his unwillingness to hurt her and the depth of his feeling, he also came to understand Liz better and where her insecurities lay. All of that information meant he needed some time to think and collect himself.

The best place to map out his strategy for any type of mission when in San Rosings was on the roof deck of his favorite cabin. He assumed it hadn't been assigned to anyone since it was in the older section, even though it had the best view in his opinion of any of the houses on the island. It was normally left unoccupied even during training seasons.

He went back to his rooms, changed into what he figured would be acceptable tree climbing clothes (yes, he had them) and made his way wearing soft leather moccasins cargo shorts, and a fresh blue polo towards cabin 27. As he hooked his foot over the familiar branch that would gain him access to the roof, he felt a certain sense of freedom he hadn't felt in a long time. When was the last time he felt anything other than responsibility, and the weight of his choices on his shoulders? How would he communicate all of these changes to Liz? How could he make her see him for what he really was and help her overcome her own issues at the same time? He needed her to know who he really was, and erase the understanding of him she currently had.

As he put his hand on the railing, he had a strange sense that something was wrong. He saw one of the older lounge chairs had a towel draped over the back. He swung his leg up so he could then figure out how to get down without totally embarrassing himself or his family in front of the cabin's apparent occupant when he saw her shoes.

Of course, his _Sleeping Beauty_ and her plastic purple shoes would be exactly where she shouldn't be. In his favorite spot, asleep on his favorite lounge chair under a faded awning that although old, was still providing enough protection from the sun and from the main house to have left them in a semi-cocoon.

Of course she managed to look sexy as hell in a t-shirt and cut off jeans with a book about coastal currents on her lap. How did she do this to him? He cursed softly –he though to himself, but she quickly opened her eyes as if she sensed his presence and looked up at him.

Liz waking up from a heat induced nap had to be the sweetest thing he had ever seen. His brain knew from Chase that getting physical with Liz at this point would just push her away, but resisting her in the current moment might prove to be his undoing.

"Darcy?"

"Liz, I thought we determined already that you were going to call me Will?"

"I'll call you Will when I am not accusing you of B&E on my private patio while watching me sleep like a stalker"

"Uh, I can explain this, it really is not how it looks!"

"Really, is there a fire, or a bomb threat or something? If not, how do you explain it then? Is my balcony is a public space which your aunt controls and gave you access to?"

"No, I mean I can explain what I am doing up here. You are absolutely correct that I am now officially a criminal, guilty of a B&E and that I gained access to the roof through non conventional means."

"OK-Darcy, stop talking like a dictionary and come sit down. Looking up at you from here to have this conversation is hurting my neck!"

"I don't think that is a good idea actually."

"Darcy, my roof, my rules."

"No, you misunderstand me. I , um, can't guarantee you I can be a gentleman if I get any closer to you...Wow, that was incredibly embarrassing to admit to you."

"Really, and why is that?"

"Stop flirting your way out of this Liz. I know you do that as a defense mechanism when you feel challenged. I have feelings for you. Strong feelings, and right now you honestly look good enough to eat. So if you want me to stay away from you, don't invite me to sit down next to you. I won't be responsible for what happens otherwise."

"I highly doubt that Will. We've had this discussion before. You still don't really know what is under my incredibly glamorous t-shirt. One look at my stomach and I'm pretty sure your little infatuation will be over. Should we try it? Just so I can prove to you how stupid this is and how shallow your feelings for me really are?"

"Don't push me Liz, I don't think you'll be happy with the results."

"Hm, where have I heard that line before? Oh right, I said it to you earlier today, didn't I? Funny, but you don't seem to be a very good listener! Well, come over here and let's find out."

Darcy stood rooted in his spot. Unwilling to move or even to return her gaze.

Annoyed at him for being what she thought was a chicken, she wanted to get to the bottom of things with him once and for all. She quickly pulled her shirt over he head and walked towards him.

"This is what you wanted to see right? This is what you claim to be so in love with? This is so incredibly attractive to you, is it? I highly doubt it Will. Now do us both a favor, take your good look, walk away and leave me alone."

"Liz", he said as he turned towards her and met her scared eyes. "What have I done to make you think I'm that person? That I would treat you that way, or behave that way?" "Whatever burns or scars you have on your body or inside your soul have nothing to do with how I feel about you or what I feel. Why would you think they would? I know I should be insulted and angry even for your notions of me. But now that I have you, I find that I just want to love you. I can be insulted later"

With that, he closed the distance between them and scooped Liz up in his arms, finding her lips at the same time and began to kiss her thoroughly. When their kiss finally dissolved, Liz found herself on her back, on her bed, in her room downstairs, with the overhead fan spinning softly above her and Will kneeling over her.

_Oh God, the man can kiss. I don't even remember him moving me, let alone carrying me downstairs._

"If you don't want this, or want me, tell me now Liz. I told you before, you were playing with fire. I don't think you believed me then, but believe me now, I mean to have you."

In her mind she pictured Darcy as a swashbuckling pirate in a romance novel. She looked up at him somewhat coyly while trying not to laugh.

"Something funny?"

"Well, that line was, it was just corny. You do know that right?"

"Yes, Ok. I'm out of practice with bedroom talk. Liz. Seriously, tell me what you want. I don't want to force you to do something you don't want, but you have to realize what you do to me. You know at least that, right?"

In that moment, she was entirely undecided. She felt like she was standing on the edge of a cliff and her only real choice was to jump. Should she take this opportunity to be with an incredible man now that it had presented itself –an occurrence she had convinced herself and been right that until now had never happened- or should she force them both to wait? She mistakenly assumed that he was most likely just being kind and now that he had seen her scars he was trying to find an elegant way out where he didn't come off like a pretentious ass. That if he pushed her, he realized she would chicken out and he would be off the hook without ever looking bad. It would all be on her.

She was getting old damn him, and she was still a virgin and she assumed this would be her last chance. What did she really have to lose? They didn't travel in the same circles and he would never tell anyone and she would never see him again.

In that moment, she gathered her courage, tried to smile and pulled him down to meet her lips. You only live once.

Will Darcy had never met anyone like Elizabeth Bennet. She was passionate, loving, and eventually gave as well as she took. He had expected all of those things. What he hadn't expected were her body issues as he tried to rid her of her jean shorts, her inexperience or her virginity.

The woman had been a virgin? He had taken her virginity What the hell was he thinking? Even though it was something he had never done before, he had the feeling he should have made it a hell of a lot more special than that for her.

Why in the world hadn't she told him? Why did she decide to give herself to him? He felt like she had the shared the world with him and was now determined to be the person she clearly thought he was or could be? Had she forgiven him for Jane and in her mind resolved all of the things she had erroneously believed from Wickham? Clearly, it wasn't a decision she had made lightly, but she seemed resolved not to speak about it. He already knew she liked to analyze and communicate about things. What was this and what did it mean? He suddenly found himself more confused then when he originally walked over to the cabin earlier to plan a strategy about winning her over. He had won, but at what cost?

_ IDIOT! You are such an idiot Will!_

_Should they discuss things now? How could he ask her anything after what he had just taken from her? How could he not?_

As he curled himself around her and cuddled her, he thought about what everything that had just happened could mean. What did she want from him? He finally decided to ask her what she was thinking and feeling –but he noticed that her breathing had changed. She had fallen asleep in his arms. This incredible woman, who he now knew he loved more than anything or anyone, had trusted him enough to let him in, to see her stomach, face her fears and gave him something so intimate, so personal, that she had given to no one else-ever.

He had said he would fight for her, that she was worth it. Was he up to the task? Could he be the man she needed him to be? Thought he was? Hell yes, or he would die trying. She was worth it, she was suddenly worth everything to him. He closed his eyes for a moment to savor the memories of what he had just experienced.

Will woke an hour later, still closely wrapped around her and realized with gratitude, that this time, it hadn't just been a dream.

As he lay awake next to her, he smoothed over the skin on her back and arms, and he found himself curious about her stomach. In truth, he hadn't though about it much. He never would. In truth, it mattered so little to him. But it clearly mattered so much to her that he resolved to know everything about it, so he could help. He sat up, and pulled their mangled sheet off of him slowly so as not to wake her, but to afford himself a better look.

He wouldn't lie to her. It wasn't pretty. Her lower stomach seemed to be puckered and blistered and melted and stretched. He imagined what it took to get into the physical shape she was in with that kind of injury. How painful and slow her recovery process must have been. He wondered if it still pained or bothered her. If she was aware of it always or had to take special care of it in any way. What could be done beyond what had already been done? He itched to rub her stomach and sooth the skin and let her know in her sleep that it would not affect how he felt about her but he was afraid to awaken or hurt her.

Liz had woken up from a delicious dream. Sleeping with Darcy had been, well, it had been a dream itself. He had made her first experience into something she would never forget. He had been patient, giving, slow and so loving.

She didn't want to open her eyes and see that he had already left. He was no longer wrapped around her back as he had been. Had he already left? Did he kiss her goodbye? As she slowly opened her eyes, she saw him near the foot of the bed, looking sadly at her stomach. The look on his face was one of revulsion and disgust. She knew that look, She was an expert in that look and had seen it on many men before Darcy.

Damn him for tricking her. Damn him for making her care. Damn him. She had just stupidly given him her virginity, her privacy, her entire sense of of self. And he had given her a guilty romp in bed in return? When the hell would she ever learn?

_Stupid, stupid, stupid Elizabeth Bennet. You deserve it. What the hell were you thinking?! Nothing changes. Nothing changes. You will always be alone. Accept that and life will be so much easier!_

She opened her eyes fully and Darcy seemed to sense instantly that she was awake. She figured she would play dumb and let him take the walk of shame all on his own.

"Liz, I, ...that...I...thank you"

"Yeah, Me too."

She doubted he had even heard her.

"I have to get back to the main house before my Aunt launches a search party and I also probably have some work to catch up on. But I'll see you tonight OK?"

At this point, he heart shattered into a million pieces on the floor.

"Ok, sure, Darcy, whatever is best for you. I'm sure I'll see you around. This is a small island after all."

At this she turned her head away from watching him get dressed and acted like she was going back to sleep.

Darcy was on such a high, he didn't notice, or didn't yet know her well enough to see the look of betrayal and hurt in her eyes. As he tweaked her foot before leaving her room and seeing himself out downstairs, he didn't see her cringe or the tears start to fall. He was oblivious to all of that. On his agenda were plastic surgeons, skin graft experts, the security team to check in with, Georgiana to speak with. His Aunt to deal with and Chase to thank. He needed to update Rich, find out how he could move Liz into Rosings with him without upsetting his Aunts sense of crew hierarchy and maybe even do a bit of work. Maybe he could even convince her to leave the crew and come back with him and G to Switzerland for a while. They had time. He knew he couldn't push her too fast, but his mind was racing ahead a fast even faster than the Lady Anne could sail. He had finally found the woman he wanted and he didn't intend to ever let her go.

Liz was unsure what to do. She decided to get out of bed, take a shower and call her sister. Maybe Jane could lift her out of the funk. How would she possibly face Chase tonight, or anyone else? Would they all know? Could they sense it? Who had let him in?

As she turned back to the bed, she saw her blood on the sheets and felt the stickiness between her legs. She was suddenly so embarrassed by the whole thing, she wished she could fly herself off the island this minute and disappear. She had been slightly upset about having to live alone before when the housing situation first came up, but now she was glad she was by herself with no one else to see her shame. As she stood in the bathroom washing her sheets so she didn't become the talk of the San Rosigns maid service, she had a fleeting thought about birth control. Surely he had used a condom...right? Since she wasn't sexually active, it wasn't something she had ever given a thought to before.

_Just, Fantastic Liz._

_ For a relatively smart and educated modern woman, you are such an idiot. Now, on top of everything else, she had to actually speak to him the next time she saw him and confirm he had used a condom? _

She was trying to envision a way this whole episode could get any worse? Nope, certainly, she was convinced, unless a hurricane or a tornado hit their island, she was convinced there was nothing that could go any more wrong.

* * *

Surprised? Angry? Nervous? Feedback is most appreciated and helps me write faster!

Let us not forget...we haven't even left Rosings yet...so much more to come in the next 10 chapters. Thanks for sticking it out with me!


	34. Chapter 34: Tested

In keeping with my normal practice, beg me via reviews and you shall receive a new chapter early...many thanks for each and every one of you that takes time to send a review or an encouraging word after each chapter. I try to respond to each one, but I wanted to say here and publicly that I really appreciate the support and encouragement!

Author warning: I would advise not to drink liquids (hot or cold) while you read this. I do not take responsibility for injury or nose snorting. I also do not own P&P nor am I Jane Austen.

Enjoy

M

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**Chapter 33: Tested**

In retrospect, it was hard to imagine how things had turned out exactly as they now were. Maybe she would look back with regrets, but she didn't know if she would change anything in hindsight. As she packed her things for the last time since leaving for San Rosins and then moving to San Francisco and now prepared to return to LA, she thought about everything that had led up to this moment and everything that was still to come.

Nearly three months ago she had spent one breathtaking afternoon in the arms of a completely amazing man, William Darcy. A man who apparently now hated her (if he thought about her at all) for the way she had summarily rejected him and shut him out after they had been together. Elizabeth had misunderstood, misconstrued, and miscommunicated willfully for a few hours, but once she had understood, she had tried to backtrack with him, but to no avail. She had let her own insecurities fester and grow until they were so powerful, they had swallowed her normal sense of self and her power of perception completely. She knew that now –she only wished that she had also known it then.

She had given him of herself the way she had never given to anyone else before. He had sweetened the experience with words of love and caring, and made her feel so worthwhile in the moment. She knew the tiny life she was now growing and transporting around was the result of a moment of passion and deep feelings by both parties that had created it, but it didn't make her any less seasick or nauseous from the effects of the end of her first trimester. It also was sure not to make Will Darcy resent or hate her any less. How could she have been so blind to everything and everyone around her? Most importantly, the one man who really was what had said he was, and of course, more importantly, the father of her growing baby? It hurt to realize how stupid she had been and how much she had lost. Still, she was trying not to focus on that, and instead just calm her breathing so she could make it through another harrowing day of nauseousness fighting for her attention along with the challenging crew and her responsibilities aboard the _Lady Anne_.

Chase had nearly gone insane when Beni had told him nearly a month ago that she was in fact pregnant. She had hid it from him and maybe even from herself for a long time, but as she told him, the pieces all fell into place. He looked at her after the news had sunk in like she had lost her mind. He thought her plan to keep the baby and not tell Will or continue to attempt to contact him were even crazier than the story of how this had all happened and come to pass.

"Beni, how can this be? You asked him? I asked him, hell, I nearly attacked him that day and he promised us both you were "protected"? Do you think he lied to you, to us? And why exactly won't you tell him, or contact him, or try to make him help you raise and support this baby, this tiny person you plan to bring into the world all on your own? Why would you do that to yourself or the baby? He may be a pompous jerk, but he loved you. I know he did, and he wouldn't just cut you off. You have to believe me about this. You owe him at least that? Don't you agree?"

They had had this conversation one night in his cabin in San Rosings before their training was suddenly cut short by their boss, Mrs. De Bourge and half the crew including the captain and first mate sent instead to San Francisco to practice instead.

"What do I owe him? You don't think I've tried to contact him? To admit my mistake? To apologize about what happened? I even tried begging. He just cut me off completely. Neither he nor G will return my calls. I can't exactly contact him via his aunt and what would you like me to do about his beloved cousin Richard? Show up at his stately home as reported by some gossip magazine and request from the butler to let me in to see him and then plead my case? If you hadn't noticed, I'm a bit too busy being seasick and motion sick to even do my job well, let alone, take a leave of absence, and attempt to fly to Europe to track down Darcy's stupid cousin in the hopes that he'll even see me. He isn't the kind of guy you send a Facebook friend request to..."

She continued when that wave of nausea passed, "Oh wait, I have a better idea. Maybe I could send Jane in for me. Should she call Charles via the museum and force him to provide Darcy's contact info? He and Charles both disappeared around the same time if you'll remember correctly and all of my attempts have failed. He has made it clear he had no interest in me, or in my attempts to contact him. So at this point, I have to assume I am doing this alone, but make no mistake, I am doing it. This child was made in love, will be born surrounded by love and with live a life filled with love. The only reason I haven't quit the _Lady Anne_ is so that I can save the money and pay back all of my loans, and take some time off when he or she is finally born. That is if I can survive morning/sea sickness much longer. Do you know how embarrassing it is to be seasick on an America's Cup crew when you are the First Mate? I feel like such a newbie sailing idiot! If I wasn't trying to convince myself with every fiber of my being not to going to throw up on you, I'd hit you right now. So please, let's just stop rehashing. You know I tried, you also know I plan to do this. I need you to stand by me. My mother is going to go bananas. My Dad is going to be embarrassed and disappointed in my "extra curricular activities". Financially I have no idea how I am going to pull this off and I'm about to be an unwed single mother when I've been in a serious relationship with a guy for all of an hour in my whole life. If you don't stand by me Chase, I don't think I can do this."

Chase was so proud of her. He knew he couldn't tell her or she would dissolve into a pool of tears as she had been recently due to hormonal changes brought about growing another human being inside of her) but she was still the Beni he knew and loved. She had been so right to force him to see the light about their own relationship. They were indeed, not meant to be, but she was still his best friend, and he would help her through this in whatever way he could. Hiding her pregnancy from the rest of the crew and from Darcy's Aunt wouldn't be –hadn't been easy, but he was trying his best. If only he could figure out a way to contact Darcy, he was pretty sure he could make the guy see reason, or at least see Beni and give her another chance. At the very least, he was pretty sure he would be the man and own up to his financial and logistical responsibilities of a child.

Clearly, something had set him off to have made him leave Rosings so suddenly, but Chase remembered their conversation after Beni and Darcy had hooked up. He doubted Darcy had faked that, and still couldn't figure out a reason why he would have. What did he have to gain by bullshitting him if his assertions about loving Beni had been that? Chase still thought there was something else going on. Now if only he could figure out what and help Beni and Darcy find their way back to each other. He would help Beni raise this kid, if not. Being the cool uncle/father figure in this child's life appealed to him, but he thought Darcy should have a shot at being a parent regardless. Had their roles been reversed, he would certainly want to know. And if Darcy was an unfeeling ass, the next time Chase saw him, he would get a serious ass kicking –no matter what the potential consequences would be for Chase or potential job would be worth if if Darcy would know that screwing his best friend and then leaving her on her own to face the music had consequences. Even for the scion of Swiss banking, for which not much had consequences.

Whatever Darcy's reasons were for going AWOL on Beni, if he was the man he had claimed to be, he would and should get over it for a child.

Beni had spent 3 months remembering that afternoon and how she had felt with him before she had woken up and found him staring at disgust with her stomach. How loving and giving he could be. How wonderful their time together was. She could regret many things, but she would not regret the growing life they had made together. She would regret that she had refused to see him that night, telling him she had a headache while he stood outside of her door and begged her to let him in and then spent more than an hour just talking to her about all of the things he felt he needed to explain to her. He had done all of that, explained everything even though she hadn't let him into her cabin even when he threatened to sleep outside telling him she needed space. She would regret that she hadn't seen through her own cousin's attempts to get her to quit the Lady Anne the next day, and Darcy's meddling Aunt's attempt to intimidate her. Had she thought Darcy had explained everything that had happened to G at the hands of Wickham as a ruse to get back in her bed? Come clean about why he had insisted Charlie leave Jane and LA so quickly, because he wanted something from her? In retrospect, she knew it to be because he was a good person. At the time, she had sat wrapped in a blanket, embarrassed by her wanton behavior, unwilling to admit to herself that she had feelings for him and that it wasn't his fault if her stomach disgusted him. As usual, she had thought it all out too much, had over analyzed and come to the wrong conclusions.

For someone who previously prided herself on her analytic skills, she was pretty sure she should now give back her fancy degrees. She was in truth a horrible analyst and was perhaps more condescending than she had ever accused Darcy of being or acting-even at his worst. At least he had something to be condescending about. Of her stomach he had been disgusted, but in all honestly, who hadn't been? Hell, she could barely touch it, let alone look at it without wanting to weep. He had been hers, if she wanted him, but she had made assumptions and steeled her heart and tossed him overboard as quickly as she had landed him.

What kind of person did that make her? She knew she would have to work on these flaws to be a good mother. She promised herself to do that when she was back on solid ground for good. The sway of the boat did nothing but send her stomach into a frenzy and her head into a dizzy spin.

At some point after she had come to San Francisco she had tried to plot out on paper everything that had happened as it seemed almost like it was a forced series of event. If she didn't know it was illegal, she would think Darcy's aunt somehow knew about their little tryst and was trying everything in her power to separate them. But how could she have known and why would she do that?They had sex, but Darcy hadn't proposed marriage. Surely his aunt knew Liz wasn't the first woman he had ever slept with. And after all, no one could be that overbearing. And why after threatening to break down her door that night would Darcy just suddenly leave and then cut off all contact? The man had sat outside her cottage an entire night-you don't do that unless you really commit to something.

Without question, the way he had sat near the foot of the bed and stared at her stomach had hurt her. But she didn't want to totally dismiss him, she just wanted some space. Once she had time to think it all through, she had wanted another chance, or at least to speak to him. But apparently, he didn't even think she deserved that. He had done the same to her as she had to him. And this was the thing she regretted. The only part of that day that she would do over would be that. She would invite him inside, she would hug and cuddle with him and try to get over his issues with her body any way she could. She wouldn't force him to spill his secrets on the front porch and through the window. She wouldn't dismiss his attempts. She wouldn't reject him. If only there were do-overs in real life.

It made her sad to the think about raising their child by herself, but she had made her choices and she would live with it. She had to. The consequences of her actions and her decisions were hers alone to bear. Well, hers and her child's. She hoped that when the time came she would be strong enough to admit why the child had no father and place the blame where it belonged; her own shoulders.

What she could not live with was the horrible pain from her stomach starting to slightly stretch. She hadn't taken it into account much at the beginning of her pregnancy, when for the first 6 weeks she had been in denial anyway. Now that she was ending her first trimester, her lower abdomen was starting to stretch and the pain was excruciating at times given her scars. Still, as much as she hadn't been prepared to be a mother just quite yet, it was something she never thought she would have and hadn't asked the burn specialists at the time. She would need to see the old team at the burn unit and find out if there was anything to be done. She didn't think she could endure losing Darcy and this constant pain for the next 6 months or she might actually go crazy.

As much as both losses hurt, she was trying to savor, to treasure and to remember ever part of this experience. Even the worst of her nausea when she didn't think she could make it through one more minute on the boat. One day, she would make sure her son or daughter knew how exciting and challenging and worthwhile all of this had been.

* * *

My G-d he missed her. It had been 2 months, 29 days, 8 hours and approximately 6 minutes since he had seen her last. In that time, as angry as he had been, she had never been far from his thoughts or his desires. Waking up with her in his arms had been the most perfect afternoon he had every spent in a woman's company and he wanted it back.

Whatever she had done, whatever trouble she was in. Whatever she had agreed to with Wickham, whether she had known or not, he was done trying to forget her. He wasn't even sure it mattered anymore. He had fixed nearly everything her mistakes had unwittingly brought upon his family. He was also convinced that he could be the man she needed him to be. He could help her heal in her heart and in her soul. He could make her see how beautiful, how giving and how beloved she was. Now all he had to do was track her down and confront her.

It bothered him that he hadn't heard from her, in all that time, once his Aunt and Alon had uncovered the truth about her connection to Wickham and the drugs, she had never even tried to contact him. Did she not long for him as he longed for her? But he would make her explain everything once he found her. And he would find her. He had to find her. He would not be whole or complete again until he did.

She had shut him out the night after they had been together, but at the time he had thought it was somewhat sweet and her needing space seemed natural after all she had given him that day. He still blamed himself for pushing too hard, perhaps taking more than she would ever have been willing to give. Then his aunt had needed him and Rich to fix something urgently in one of her companies so he had to go the next morning. He had left her a detailed note, a cellphone, keys to his regular house in Switzerland, and a black Amex that would take her anywhere or get her anything. He expected to be back in a day or two, but she had all but disappeared. What woman rejected a credit card? Why didn't she at least take the phone and turn it on? He got a note in return Fedex'd to him while he was on his way back asking him to leave her alone and not to contact her and to keep his sister away from her as well. That had hurt perhaps the most. G had not understood any of it. Hell, he still didn't understand, but he had had enough. Whatever her reasons for rejecting him were, they were just not good enough anymore and he was done fighting his feelings. He didn't have the money, resources and power he had for nothing.

* * *

I know, I know. Yes, I agree and I'm pretty sure at least one unicorn died while I wrote this. Don't start sending hate mail yet...love and rainbows are on the way shortly. I have a big charity event this Thursday, so will probably be delayed from posting an update until next Sunday. In the meantime, keep the faith...and remember, you all know how the story ends...we just have to get there.

I set certain goals for myself when I first started writing this...in addition to checking off (write a novel) from my bucket list. I wanted to reach 250 reviews, 50 favorites and 125 follows. This story currently stands at 251, 48 and 114 respectively so I am almost there. I wanted to thank you for taking the time to review, favorite and follow me/it. It is hard to make the time from RL to write and review and live this story in my head. I am really glad to know the insanity has a purpose and other people are enjoying it.

My thoughts are with Oklahoma today...


	35. Chapter 35: Uncovered

For all of you poor confused souls...I will politely remind you that I called my novel Nemesis for a reason

Keep the faith folks...you know the ending. Until we get there, I have decided to go on a all out unabashed campaign for favorites and follows. More than 700 people religiously read each chapter within a day or two of posting. So can at least 10 more of you can follow my story and help me reach my story goals of 250/50/125 since we are almost to the end? My bucket list thanks you in advance!

In fact, I'll even gamify it. Be the next person to favorite my story, and I'll happily dedicate the next chapter to you!

Now onto the show...

M

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**Chapter 33: Uncovered**

When Georgiana thought about Liz, she got angry. Angry for her brother and angry for herself. She had no idea what the girl had wanted or why she had used her or lief to her face, but writing that letter for her brother asking her to stay away had been as far as she was concerned a declaration of all out war. She knew her brother had been heartbroken, and it was high time she gave Liz a real piece of her mind. She might be young, but she had a trust fund and could use the internet as well as the next person. Her brother had mentioned that he met Liz in LA and that she had lots of sisters. She assumed at least one of them was still unmarried and shared her last name.

After searching on line, she quickly found the _perfect angel_ she was looking for. Apparently, this was the lady killer that had her claws wrapped around Charlie, the one her brother had told Charlie to bad he hadn't been a smart about his own heart. Still, she looked nice enough in the PR photo for the museum. A simple phone call and the drop of her name and her interest in lending of the pieces from their family collection should do the trick and get her the access she needed.

5 minutes later Georgiana was speaking to Jane Benet via Skype on her iPad. 10 minutes later, G was thoroughly confused. Liz had been in San Francisco and was still working for her aunt? She had attempted to contact them repeatedly and never heard back? Darcy had rejected her? She had gotten an earful from Jane and while not totally able to figure out what had happened. She realized this story was much bigger than she thought. She could not believe Liz thought her brother had rejected her. More importantly, she was at first shocked and now was almost giddy –apparently, she was going to be an aunt. Her brother would be dancing on water soon, but first she had to figure out exactly what was happening around her and why.

Unsure who exactly was involved in the evil plot (and for reasons wh still didn't understand), she was also unsure who she could trust. Was it Wickham again, or was her Aunt somehow involved. The pieces didn't all add up and she didn't know how to go about fixing them. Should she try to play spy on her own, reach her brother somehow or should she confront her Aunt directly? She decided against the latter as she was back at Rosings and Will wasn't here. How could she reach him without anyone knowing?

She decided the best way would be via a method no one else would think of. She and Will shared an old blogger account. It was a private blog that they didn't publish, but used to share thoughts about their parents and early family life. It was she hoped the last place anyone would think to look and one she doubted anyone else would have access to. She took a picture from her phone of the sunset from cabin 27 where she knew he loved to sit and think, and wrote 5 simple words across the picture. She saved it into their shared blog and waited until the files were synced. She knew he would get an email telling him there was an update, but there would be no link. He would have to navigate to it from memory.

**_I found your S.B. COME._**

She had caught Will referring to Liz as his _Sleeping Beauty_ once and so they had just reverted to calling her S.B. If anyone saw this, she doubted they would know what it meant other than that it would call her brother somewhere. She hoped it was cryptic enough and her brother was smart enough to figure it out.

Someone had a serious amount of explanaing to do.

Less than 2 minutes later, her brother wrote back on the same picture:

_**P.C. Coming.**_

Will had no idea why G had reached out to him via the blog other than a nagging suspicion that he had been ignoring for some time that all was not as it seemed. Why would she be so cryptic and mysterious about Liz? Why use the blog of all things from his Aunt's island instead of the phone? Hoping this was not a sign that his sister had gone delusional, he decided to play along with her strange protocol and tell no one he was either leaving or coming to San Rosings.

The minue he had seen her message, it was like an SOS straight to his heart. Something had happened and he knew intrinsicly that he needed to get to G as fast as he could. Something about the message told him he didn't know who he could trust, so he told absolutely no one which was entirely unsual. He left his assistants, ditched his private security detail and got on a commercial jet for the first time in his life. He flew first class, but the experience was entirely new to him. Once in Venice, he chartered a helicopter to take him to and pick up his sister from San Rosings. He used a supply of unmarked bills he always carried with him for this purpose. He didn't want anyone to trace his movements.

10 hours and much stress later, the helo was landing on the private helicopter pad at San Rosings. He met his sister near cabin 27. She looked distressed and very upset. He looked at her questioningly, and she made a hand movement towards the helo again and also made him to understand that he should not speak to her while they were still on the ground.

As they ran back towards the helo to leave the island, Darcy had no idea what was going on, or if this was a sick delusion of G's mind, but he was intrgued and taking no chances. But where was Liz?

As they approached the helo pad, Darcy's Aunt, Catherine approached from the other side. She was a formidible woman and her countenance suggested that was about to try to prevent Darcy and G from boarding the helo even though she attempted to appear surprised and otherwise hospitable.

What in the world was going on?

"Aunt" Darcy broke the silence and spoke first.

"William. What a surprise, I hadn't expected you. Why the helocopter?"

"Oh, I had some time and thought G might be bored. I was planning to kidnap her for a day or two. Do I need your permission for that?"

"No, of course not, I am just surprised to see you. Did you already finish that last project I gave you? Why don't you stay tonight and leave on your adventure in the morning?"

"But then it wouldn't be a surprise, now would it? If you'll excuse us, we are on a very tight schedule as it is..."

Without arousing suspicion, Catherine could do little but let them go. Of course, she knew her security had already put a tracing satellite beacon on the helo, so she would know wherever they were headed anyway –or so she thought.

Darcy asked the helo to land back in Venice. He quickly rented a water taxi with cash and had it take them to a hotel. Once there, he asked G to walk with him down the street to different hotel. He sort of liked playing cloak and dagger. Of course, they had a home in Venicia. A beautiful one, but his sister and the incident with his Aunt had given him a sense that nothing was as it seemed and danger lurked in the shadows.

G started to talk while they were in the water taxi. "Will, I don't know how to begin. I was so angry at Liz, I decided not to listen to her letter and I tracked her down. I found her quite easily. She is in San Francisco. Did you know Aunt Catherine moved half the crew there including Liz right before you were slated to come back from that urgent business trip she sent you on? Did you know Liz has called and emailed and tried to contact both of us? That she has been searching for you basically since you left?"

"No, of course you didn't. Jane was beside herself on Liz's behalf. She said you destroyed her."

At this point, G couldn't decide if she should or should not tell Will the biggest part of what she had learned. That her brother was apparently going to become a father in just 6 months or how devious her Aunt had been.

Suddenly she took Will's cellphone from his pocket and before he could protest, she threw it into the canal. She took her iPad and did the same thing. Will stared at her and asked her what the hell she was doing. "That isn't your real phone. It is a clone with a tracking device. I'm sure of it."

"G, I am sure you have been watching too many James Bond films while bored at Catherine's the last few months."

"Will, you have to listen to me. I have to get you to see reason. I'm convinced Catherine is behind much of this. I don't know what or how or why, and frankly, I don't really care, but I don't think anything that happened between you and Liz is what it seems to you right now. Let's go to an Apple store, buy new machines and speak to Alon. If you trust him so much, maybe he can tell us what in the hell is going on. The last three months have been an elaborate ruse. Why I don't know, but she didn't reject you."

"Well, that would have been easier if I had my phone G! I don't know anyone's number by heart you know!"

"Listen Will, I know we think it was Catherine, but why? What would she have to gain? You take care of her, she still has her allowance. I also don't think she could have masterminded this all on her own. This feels like Wickham to me. Maybe it always will when someone attacks my family, but stand there and tell me if doesn't have his mark of cruelty all over it?" ...See, you don't dare, since you know I'm right. My G-d, will he never stops until he gets what he wants? And what does he want? Just money? Let's just give him more and make him go away and leave us alone once and for all!"

Darcy's lips had gone tight and his facial expression was murderous. Inside though, his head was spinning. Liz hadn't rejected him? She had called him and looked for him and thought he had rejected her? If that was true, who had separated them, and why?

Gigi hadn't thought she would relate the growing secret Jane had shared with her. She had wanted Liz to have the chance to get to know her brother again, and tell him in her own way. But the excitement of everything that was happening, coupled with her want to help her brother led her to tease him mercilessly and tell him in her own way.

"Darcy, stop pouting. We'll get to the bottom of this. We always do. Oh, and by the way, you know you have to behave nicely while you take Wichkam down right? Your future son or daughter needs a good role model."

He was about to reply when her words hit him like a freight train. _Future son or daughter?_

"G, what the hell are you talking about? do you mean what I possibly think you mean? Liz is, she's, she's pregnant?" She'sPREGNANT? Are you sure that is what Jane said? I have to call Jane, I have to call Liz. I have to get her back. I have to protect her!"

Without their phones, they were somewhat paralyzed but not totally. Will walked into the local Apple store and bought two new iPhones and an iPad with cash. He put them on the name of an obscure holding company that held G's trust fund from her long deceased mother. They opened gmail accounts and memorized their new phone numbers. Next, they walked to a small café and using their free Wifi, Skype called Jane back in California. She was at work and surprisingly happy to hear from Darcy. She was incredulous when he told her he had been looking for Liz and trying to contact her. He explained he didn't have all of the details but something had been done to keep them apart and he was determined to get to the bottom of it quickly. He also told her that G hadn't been able to hold Liz's secret, and that he was overjoyed, but asked that she not to tell Liz yet what they had all learned. He wanted to find his way back to her when he knew for certain he could keep her safe. He assured her that the minute he knew for certain he could do that, that he and Liz would not be parted again.

As the call was wrapping up, Jane asked about Charlie. Here, Will had to admit that it had not been some nefarious plot that had kept them apart, but rather that he himself he had talked Charlie away from her. "Jane, I have to apologize here. That was me, it was wrong, I was wrong and I plan to correct it immediately. Can you ever forgive me?"

"I can only forgive you if you promise to take care of my sister Darcy. The last 3 months have tortured her. She deserves so much more than that."

"I know Jane, I love her. I'll do everything I can to protect her and cherish her. You have to believe that."

"I'll believe it when I see it."

Darcy asked for Charlies number, which Jane provided it wishing him luck. He had figured Charlie still knew how to contact Alon and hopefully he could get to the bottom of things.

When he was finally speaking with Alon, he was shocked to find out they hadn't spoken for 3 months. "Darcy, I've been trying to reach you for almost three months. Where the hell have you been?"

"What can you mean, we've spoken dozens of times."

"No, Will, we haven't. Here I thought you had gone AWOL on me."

"Alon, please explain what the HELL is going on here!"

"You want my honest opinion? Someone cloned your phone, and has been playing you on both sides. I have tried to reach you, call you, message you and have gotten total silence. Whomever you were speaking to pretending to be me, wasn't me. Anyone with voice software can do it, if they had a recorded call between us, they could replicate my voice. In essence, you have been thoroughly played and everyone in your organization is suspect. The smartest thing I heard so far was that G threw out your phone and her iPad. I have a team in Venice, they can meet you in an hour and install what is needed to keep you safe on your gear. Now we need to clean house though at the bank. I would trust no one. If I had to venture a guess, I would suggest your old friend Wickham was behind a good part of this, although it must have been done with the help of your Aunt. With everything you told me, there is no such thing as coincidence when it comes to security."

"So what do you suggest?

"I suggest you start firing your immediate personal staff at the bank and replace them with my people at least for now, cut your Aunt off while I look into her finances, because you and I both know this is probably about money and if I follow the money trail, I will figure it out and finally, fly to LA ad get your girl back."

"LA? I thought Liz was in San Francisco?"

"She was, until about 20 minutes ago when she safely boarded a flight from San Francisco to LA."

"How do you know that?"

Well, if you'll remember, you told me to watch her. You never told me to stop. I was concerned when you went MIA on me, and we basically stopped everything else we were doing for you, but she always struck me as the innocent bystander in all this. So I stuck with her."

"Thanks Alon, I feel a lot better knowing that."

"Hey, I couldn't let anything happen to baby Darcy."

"What?! Does , did everyone know but me?"

"Well, the agent I have watching her told me it was hard to miss the signs. She was the only member of the Lady Anne crew throwing up over the side of the boat. That seemed a little more than off for someone who was such an experienced sailor."

Liz Bennet was going to make him a father. He had been running around doing his Aunt's bidding like a lapdog while she had been secretly destroying his life. BITCH. He would make her pay for this. In the meantime, the love of his life had spent 3 months thinking he hated her. He doubted just showing up with a bouquet of roses would fix this. He had a hard time stopping himself from booking a flight right now and running to see her. Still, he knew he couldn't until Alon knew more about who and why.

"Keep watching her Alon. In fact, I want a whole detail of people watching her. Keep her safe for me until I can get to her."

"Understood. I'm sending my team over to you now. I also want you in a safe house tonight. We'll sweep the Venice house in the morning and see what we find before you can stay there. I want to check out the staff also and see if I can find any money trails. I need to see how far your staff has been infiltrated. "

_Liz._..all he wanted was to call her and hear her voice. A baby. She was pregnant with his baby and thinking she was all on her own and he had rejected her! Thinking about it, about her and how she must hate him and resent him made it hard to breathe. How would he ever make amends for all of this?

* * *

Warning...unicorns and rainbows ahead...but storm clouds too...Pemberly, Wickham and Venice (California) in our future. 5 Chapters to go...

Hope to update again by Sunday.

M


	36. Chapter 36: Convinced

The big charity swim across the Sea of Galilee on Thursday was a success and I thankfully didn't drown. So as my token of appreciation, I present Chapter 36 for your enjoyment.

Have a great weekend everyone!

* * *

Chapter 36: Convinced

It had been 2 days since he found out he was to become a father.

48 hours of angst, hope and love coursing through him. With no outlet other that the thoughts racing in his mind that would not rest. He still hadn't spoken to her. Not a word, not a single sentence. She still thought he hated her, or had abandoned her. He knew it wasn't necessarily the right thing, or the smart thing, or the safe thing, but he couldn't take it anymore, so it was all about to change.

He reasoned or maybe rationalized that he could protect her just as easily if they were apart or if they were together. And together was infinitely more appealing than continuing apart.

He wanted to prove to her that he was the man she needed and wanted. That he wasn't fickle or insincere or absent. But rather, that the love he had for her had not diminished, and that he would protect her and their child at all costs.

Darcy had bought a new yacht called in Marina Del Ray already named Pemberley within minutes of hatching his idea about how to win her back. To explain himself to her, he thought it best to go back to their roots. He wanted to surprise her, and woo her all over again. What better way than offering her a 2PM meeting with a prospective customer aboard his new boat to discuss engines and green tech? An offer he knew she wouldn't refuse.

It was now 10 minutes to 2 and having spent the last day flying to LA from Venice and working out most of the details, he was overwrought, nervous and unsure that he had made the right decision. But most of all, he was just anxious to see her. He knew she might still hate him or resent him or have a hard time believing everything he was going to say. He just needed to see her, to see for himself that she was OK. He kept telling himself he could deal with her rejection if he could just see her, for himself and assure himself she really was alright. Whatever she was willing to give him would be enough for him, for now, it had to be.

The dock gate buzzed letting him know Liz was at the entry. He buzzed her in without speaking to her as he was nervous if she heard his voice she would flee and he waited for her to come aboard. He figured if he went to greet her, she might bolt, but this was, she was a captive audience, at least for a few minutes if she had to come find him on the boat.

He stood on the deck upper deck with his back to the sliding glass doors and listening to his own breathing, trying to calm himself down. Thinking, rehearsing what to say to her when he saw her. How to explain, approach, apologize and beg.

Suddenly, she was there, opening the sliding glass doors behind him.

"Uh, Hi, I'm Elizabeth Bennet. Did we have a meeting for 2PM today?"

He turned and froze. She was more lovely than he remembered and her face was glowing. Pregnancy had been good to her so far. He looked into her eyes and he was lost.

She stared at him as if she was seeing a ghost.

"Darcy? William Darcy? What the hell? What are you doing here?"

He tried hard not to notice that when she saw him, realized who he was, that her hand, as if by instinct, moved to cover her stomach. Clearly, she was feeling protective and scared.

"Well, this is my boat.."

"Well, I was here for a job interview, apparently, you needed an engine retrofit and someone on your _staff_ thought to call upon the last person on earth you apparently ever want to see or hear from. Sorry for wasting your time. I'll see myself out. I'm sure you'll find someone else just as easily to do the job for you. You can thank your assistant for that screw up when you next see her."

"Liz, wait, don't say that. Don't ever say I don't want to see you. How do I explain, where do I start?"

"Explain? Explain what exactly?

"Explain that I slept with you, I gave myself to you completely and then I got so scared and angry that I shut you out for one night, for which you rewarded me with 3 months of total silence. Explain that you and G and Richard and your Aunt all treated me abominably, after I gave you everything of myself. What else is there to explain?"

"Liz, you don't understand, since Jane told me, all I wanted was to come here and see you. I missed you, I crave you, I can't let you go."

"Jane told you? Why would she tell you? It wasn't her right to do that. Even so, so now what? You thought you would just swoop in, play baby daddy when convenient, wait for me to give birth and then take my baby? I know how you use your money to circumvent the law. But I won't let you have this child. William Darcy, there is no way in hell I will let you also take this from me. Don't you think I've given you enough?" Pausing to take a breathe to calm herself. "I've said too much already, and I don't want to get any more upset, so I'm going to go. Have a nice life Darcy."

As she made to go, Darcy took a few steps towards her and then pleaded with her...

"No, Liz, please. Please, sit and listen to me, I beg you for 5 minutes of your time. I promise, you won't regret it. Nothing that has happened for the past 3 months is at it seems. I mean, of course, the tiny person you are growing inside of you is real, and that thankfully won't change, but everything else...if you just listen to me, please. I need for you to just listen, to let me explain."

Not wanting to leave without hearing what he had to say, she answered back defiantly...

"Fine, Darcy you have 5 minutes. But please, don't touch me and stay on that side of the room. I'm embarrassed to admit that even after all this time, I can't think rationally when you are close to me."

At that Darcy smiled and then began hesitantly... "First, I'm going to tell you that I love you. I ask that you keep that first and foremost behind everything I am going to say to you in the next five minutes. I know that seems impossible to you right now, but please just hang on to that.

"My Aunt...no, I don't want to start there. Let me try again..

"You, Elizabeth, I want to start with you. I held you in my arms. You slept with me. You gave me your virginity and now you carry my child. You fell asleep lovingly in my arms and somehow woke up angry with me. I still don't know how that happened or why you shut me out that night, but I guess we can deal with that later. The important part of this part of my story is that I love you. I loved being with you and I don't regret that time together. Not one second of it. When you shut me out that night, I didn't know what else to do other than sit on the steps of your cabin and talk to you through the door. I just wanted to be with you. I still want to be with you. I need you like I need air to breathe. I can't be happy anymore without you. I need you to believe that above anything else.

He looked up and she started at him silently, willing him to go on. Hope suddenly filled him.

"Now back to my Aunt. She apparently had video cameras around the entire estate – before you get nervous, please know all of the tapes have since been destroyed. But she apparently got into some financial trouble and was blackmailed into attempting to ruin my life. She sent me on a stupid errand to one of her holding companies in Africa, which I shouldn't have gone on, but I figured you just needed time to sort through whatever you were feeling about having slept with me by yourself and I would be back in a few days. I left you a note, and a new cellphone –with all of my numbers pre-programmed in, keys to my house in Switzerland and a black Amex to take care of whatever you needed. Now, I know you received none of those things, and instead just thought I left you.

"When I finally got back to San Rosings after my Aunt shuttled me around to keep me away from you, I was handed what I was told was your note, again, I was told was left for me by you. You were out on deep sea maneuvers for the week near the Greek coast. Do you remember that week? I would have flown there immediately, but in your note, you asked me, demanded me to leave you alone. You went so far as to specify that G should also leave you alone and not make any attempt to contact you. I thought if I respected your wishes then, you would come around. I called you repeatedly, or what I thought was you, and you ignored me at every turn. I spent the last 3 months berating and hating myself. Trying to determine what I could do to get you back, to make you feel about me the way I feel about you. To bring you back to me."

Darcy had finally looked up and saw Liz had taken a seat sometime while he was explaining things to her and was softly crying. She had asked him not to come near her, but maybe that was only before when she hadn't known the truth. Should he, could he approach her, or was it still too soon?

Liz finally looked up at him, and he knew in that moment, they would never be apart again. He moved towards her, scooped her into his arms and then deposited them both back onto the couch, but this time, she was held lovingly in his arms, exactly where she belonged.

"God, Liz, do you have any idea how badly I just wanted to hold you in my arms the last 3 months. I can't imagine what it was like for you. Thinking I rejected you, thinking I left you, thinking you were going to have to raise this baby on your own. A baby, sweetheart. You and I are going to have a baby. Do you know what a miracle that is, how happy I am? How much I adore you?"

Liz was overcome with emotion. Not unlike the last 3 months of pregnancy when she either threw up or cried at the drop of a hat. Could Darcy's words be true? Who would be so cruel towards him and why? She felt him kissing the tears off her face, kissing her and her anxiety about who and why slowly melted away. She needed him. Wanted him. Loved him. She could worry about WHY later. Right now, she planned to just let him love her. She needed this.

3 hours later, Liz found herself lying comfortably in the king sized bed in the master stateroom aboard the Pemberley. She could not remember ever having felt so cherished or so loved. She and Darcy had both talked and shared everything about the last three months until words were not enough and then they had come together and shared something much deeper. Darcy was lying behind her and his hand was now resting on her small bump. He had asked her about her scars, if she was in pain, inquiring if there was something to be done, a specialist or a treatment they could pursue. He had been thoughtful enough to ask if it hurt now that her stomach was and would continue to expand. As he gently soothed her, his touch felt magical. Other than pain, she didn't have much feeling on her lower stomach and the nerve endings had mostly been destroyed. But now she felt his love. It coursed through his fingertips and landed on her skin with every kiss he gave and every attention.

Darcy was talking again, she wished he would stop doing that. She was enjoying just being with him too much to pay attention to words.

"You know who we have to thank for all of this right? It was G. She finally hated you enough to track you down and give you a piece of her mind. I never hated you, but I couldn't bring myself to chase after you after your letter and what I thought was you purposely ignoring me. Will you forgive me for that? I should have fought harder..."

"G tracked me down?"

"Yes, through Jane. My little sister was furious at you and wanted to give you a piece of her mind. She found Jane through the museum, heard your side of the story and then she realized something much bigger than the two of us was what had really kept us apart. the rest of the story reads like a spy thriller, but I assure you, it is all real."

He threaded their fingers together and held her while he kissed he softly. "Will, everything you are saying sounds surreal, but I find myself not caring, now that we are together. Please just promise me we don't have to be apart again. Now that you found your way back to me, I don't want to let you go."

"Liz, nothing will take me away from you. I promise. I want to marry you, spend my life with you, raise this baby and the rest of our children with you."

"The _rest_ of our children? How many exactly do you want?"

"3 months and two weeks ago, I didn't want any. Now however, if they come out looking like you, I want my own basketball team and maybe more. What about you? I'm sure this all came as such a shock. What do you want Liz? Whatever it is, you just have to ask and it will be yours."

"I'm not going to lie, now that my stomach is expanding, the skin is starting to stretch and the pain is pretty bad some days. If you think there is a specialist or someone we could see, maybe they could help me. I don't want anything to take away from how amazing it is to be growing this little life inside of me. I also just want to make sure everything is OK. I never thought I would have this, with anyone, what we have is...Will, I'm sorry I got pregnant and didn't tell you I wasn't on birth control. If you don't want it, I'll really understand if you..."

"Liz, are you not listening to me? I'm not sorry. I love you and I love this baby. The idea that you are carrying my child thrills me. The only thing I am disappointed and angry about is that you did it for three months without me. Believe me when I say this. You have made me the happiest of men. In fact he said winking at her, let me show you how happy as you seem to have conveniently forgotten in the last 10 minutes..."

It was at least an hour later when Darcy's felt instead of heard when Liz's stomach finally started to rumble. Since he had her back, his hands had never left her body. His new favorite place to rest his hands seem to be on top of her scar. It was bittersweet for Liz, but she had already cried herself out of tears for today, so she laughed about it instead and still could not come to terms with how different her life had just become, all because of Will.

"And now my darling, I think it is time I fed you properly. You seem entirely too thin for my liking and I can feel your stomach rumbling. Baby Darcy is apparently very hungry."

"Dar-Will, did you mean what you said about getting married?"

"Oh sweetheart, of course I meant it. We can fly to Vegas tonight, I can have the plane ready in 20 minutes, but is that what you want? You have about 6 months to decide, so whatever and whenever you want to get married is fine by me."

"6 months?"

"Yes, 6 months right? I want us to be married before you give birth. I would prefer sooner, but really Liz, whatever you want."

"And the tabloids and the press and the accusations about wedlock?"

"Are you serious, I don't care about that. I care about you, and our family. Nothing else matters. Not anymore."

"OK, let me think about it, while I take a quick shower. I'll be out in a few minutes and we'll go eat?"

Liz realized she didn't have any clothes to change into so asked Darcy is they could swing by her place before they went out.

Darcy agreed happily. He would follow her around like a lovesick puppy forever if she wanted. As long as she was with him.

As they arrived at Liz's house, neither of them noticed the suspicious van parked across the street. They were too engrossed in each other and everything that had happened today to notice much of anything.

Liz went into her bedroom to change and told Darcy she would be out in a few minutes. He could make himself comfortable on the sofa while she changed. She called out to him from her room and asked him if he thought G would like to go shopping with her for maternity clothes as soon nothing she owned would fit. Darcy thought it was an excellent idea and called G to update her on everything that had happened, thank her for not giving up and find out when she planned to come back to the boat. Darcy had not wanted to leave her in Europe, so he had brought her with to LA where she was currently safe hanging out with a security guard supplied by Alon in a lux LA boutique hotel.

A few minutes after his call finished, Darcy called out to Liz to ask what was taking so long. She didn't answer. He called again, thinking maybe she had just fallen asleep in which case he would suggest take out and they would stay in. He walked to her room and opened the door.

Liz wasn't anywhere to be seen, signs of a struggle were obvious. The window of her room was open and the curtain fluttered in the breeze.

Christ, how could he have been so dumb. She had been safe before he had insisted on coming to see her. Wickham would apparently stop at nothing to hurt him. His taking Liz was an open declaration of war. This time, Darcy would take no prisoners.

He called the police and then called Alon and he ran outside to see if he could see anyone or anything that would give him a clue. He would find her, had to find her. Failure was not an option.

* * *

Well, just 4 more chapters until it is all rainbows and unicorns forever.

How long do I intend to make your suffer? Not long...two weeks at the most.

Thank you to all of the new favorite and followers. My bucket list is getting shorter and shorter as I reach this big milestone and almost finish this!

I'll keep trying to post at least twice a week so we can wrap up quickly.

XOXO

Lady M


	37. Chapter 37: Confessed

Implore you to keep singing "The sun will come out tomorrow" while reading this...a happy dance or two might not hurt either

Jane Austen would shoot me on site...but I still own nothing.

Enjoy(ish) and know it is a necessary means to an end.

I can almost feel that unicorn giving birth as I type this...

M

* * *

With a cloth tied over her eyes, Liz was unsure what day or time it was. She knew she was being held like a prisoner, her hands and feet tied, on a rather large yacht and she knew they were on the water, but trying as she was to listen to familiar sounds to figure out exactly where seemed pointless. She hadn't heard anyone or anything in what seemed like forever. She knew she had vomited all over herself at some point not so long ago, so she assumed that had been late morning the day after she had been taken. That was when her regular morning sickness and her new motion sickness from being bound and blindfolded on a boat had joined into a marriage of complete hatred towards her circumstances. Now she was fighting waves of nausea from the morning sickness, the motion sickness and the smell surrounding her. She counted herself luck that they had offered her nothing to eat, or drink, but she knew she would soon dehydrate and she needed to come up with a plan and fast as she had to protect both of them and her sister.

Still, she knew the fact that she was still throwing up meant to Liz that she was still pregnant. After the attack she had fended off last night from a drunk Wickham and his henchman, she felt grateful she still had something, anything to be hopeful about.

Liz blamed herself for telling, no demanding Darcy to call off her security that night after they had found each other again. Her stubborn pride had landed her and her younger sister in the clutches of a man she now knew to be a complete psychopath.

It seemed hard to remember that she had ever considered him handsome or attractive when they had met before. His hatred and burning desire to destroy the man she loved made Wickham seemed perhaps even uglier than even she now knew him to be.

The depth and passion of his hatred surprised her, as did the way he allowed her to be treated, but now she understood the evil behind his plans and how far he would go to see them properly executed, she prayed that Will had the capacity to understand his cruelty for she feared she and her sister would never be found otherwise. While she had been known for some fairly crafty solutions to problems on the open seas, she had never had to do it pregnant, with a younger sister in tow or as a Wickham POW. She doubted she could take on what she estimated to be 10 armed men, even if her pregnancy gave her super protective future mommy hormones running through her brain.

Darcy paced Liz's room again and again trying to understand what he were convinced were clues she left him. In utter frustration, he called Jane, Georgiana and Charlie wracking his brain for conversations, secret handshakes or private jokes that would help Alon and his team piece together the puzzle.

From Jane and her family he learned that Liz's little sister was also missing. More importantly, that she had until yesterday been supposedly recently courted by someone who matched Wickham's description, and who they all had assumed was the same age as she was. Since Elizabeth had been taken, they now understood that he had most likely used her little sister as bait and now simply had both of them in his clutches and planned to use them for ransom or payback. William was frantic over both and his unborn child. By noon the next day when Wickham hadn't called to demand anything in exchange, he was on the verge of a complete breakdown. Of course he couldn't know that salvation was on the way.

Chase arrived at Elizabeth's apartment ready for their daily coffee run since returning from the Lady Anne. Well, it was now decaf tea for Liz, sometimes even apple juice depending on her tummy situation and coffee for Chase while they talked about their plans and ideas. When he turned up and instead saw Darcy, the police tape and learned the news –he fell to the couch in despair. After a few minutes with his head in his hands feeling hopeless and angry, he ran to Darcy and started yelling at him, questioning him in rapid fire about Liz's now infamous purple shoes.

"Darcy, you have to tell me, what shoes was she wearing?"

"Chase, I hardly think her shoes matter right now you idiot..."

"No, Darcy, this is everything! Which shoes was she wearing dammit, are her crocs here?"

"Um, no, they aren't. She had worn other shoes when she came to meet me, but when she got back, she must have changed. For the love of G-d though Chase, who cares?"

"You care Darcy and I do. Trust me when I tell you, you will give her gold plated Crocs when this is all over to replace those purple ones. You'll probably sleep with them every night..."

"Chase, I'm tired and I just want to find Liz and her sister. Enough riddles, what the hell are you talking about?"

"Theta Tau man, praise the Lord for the men and brothers of Theta Tau."

"Chase, for God's sake. He'll kill her. I don't have time to debate Greek fraternities with you right now."

"Beni was the first girl we ever let into Theta Tau. Our engineering frat at UCLA. The first girl Darcy, do you even know what that means?"

"No, enlighten me, but do it fast and the end of this story better have her in my arms, or I swear I will kill you for wasting my time and her time."

"The first girl in a frat means she had 4 years of brothers and men who adored her. We would do anything for her and to keep her safe. One of the guys in our year was always nervous that some jock would try to take advantage of her as she went home late at night from the lab, so he planted a very special tracker in those shoes. Since he knew she would never take them off. We never told her why, but we told her to always wear those shoes, assured her that they would bring her luck and keep her safe. Sort of like Dorothy and her sparkly red shoes..only these were purple but..."

"But just get to the f'ing point Chase..."

"Right, sorry, the point is, I'm calling in the guys. Beni is one of us. Most of the guys work in the private sector, but they specialize in finding things and finding people. If she has the shoes, we can find her. Anywhere in the world. And we can do it in a few minutes. and that psycho asshole will never know. We turn on the tracker and we find it with a dedicated satellite. If he scanned her shoes, he wouldn't pick it up, not even when it was transmitting..."

"Who are you calling?"

"My mother Darcy to invite her for lunch, Seriously man, who the F*ck do you think I'm calling. The guy who can turn it on. Her Theta brothers and letting them know we need their help. Don't ever doubt an army of geeks and engineers. Not where her safety and security is concerned...we rock this stuff"

10 minutes later, Chase's phone rang and he put his fist up in the air. "Found her, she is on what appears to be a yacht off the coat of Mexico. It is well guarded and has private security around it. I'll call the Coast Guard and the Navy Seals and we'll figure out an extraction." Chase was speaking into and out of the phone at the same time "Off book if need be, but I want her off that boat in less than 30 minutes and I want the boat sunk after that."

"Excuse me Captain Chase, but why would they act so fast on your command?"

"Again, You are kidding, right Darcy?"

"No, I'm serious."

The Bennet's are one of the best known seafaring families on the west coast. Her dad trained most of the Coast Guard in S. California and lots of the Navy Seal tech ops guys are frat bros. We take care of our own. There isn't one of them that wouldn't give their life for her. We'll get her back, you'll see Darcy. But can you stop screwing things up, cause I'm getting sick of cleaning up your Beni messes. I gave you your shot, now stop messing around. Marry her and take care of her after this –or the entire brotherhood will be after you. And honestly, if you think this Wickham guy was bad news, you don't want to see what thousands of geeks around the world can do to you and your bank if you mistreat her..."

"Is that a threat?"

"No, of course not, just a friendly suggestion. She deserves to be happy Darcy. Don't you think so? Your relationship had been a trainwreck thus far. Surely, a man of your means can do better, no?"

"Chase, if you get her back, I promise, I swear on everything that is holy I will be the best husband she could ever imagine."

"Husband? What the hell did I miss? Did she say yes? Did you ask her? Are you finally done rejecting her then? Smart move Romeo!"

"Chase, much to explain, no time now. I didn't reject her, I thought she rejected me. We had just sorted everything out when Wickham kidnapped her. Now tell me where they found her so I can add a security team and medical team for the extraction and I want to be wherever they bring her. Stop talking to me and make this happen. Now. I don't want her near him for one second more than necessary."

The moments that lead up to the commando raid on the yacht were tense. Chase's prediction was off by an hour, but less than 2 hours after an old frat buddy had turned on her magic tracking shoes and made her signal live, she was happily aboard a rescue craft with her younger sister wrapped in her arms.

Although it will probably be years until they would both agree on who deserves the majority of the blame for the events with Wickham, they easily agreed that their freedom was worth it. When Beni had asked her rescue commando how they had found them so fast, she still didn't understand when he answered by throwing her a wide grin, pointing to her Crocs and telling her to ask Chase to explain everything. She assumed there was more to the story than anyone was telling her, but now, she just wanted to get back on solid ground, take a shower and erase George Wickham and his dark thoughts and deeds from her mind.

Celebrating his death at the hands of her rescuers seemed somehow wrong, and yet she felt as if she could finally be free now that he would no longer be in the picture.

Her burning question still remained, where was Darcy in all of this? If Chase had rescued her, had Darcy bailed at the first sign of trouble? Had Wickham shown him or sent him the video of him attempting to rape her last night and convinced Darcy to leave her again? Why wasn't anyone telling her anything?

As their small rescue craft approached the US Coast Guard boat. Liz recognized a number of faces from her time at UCLA. While she was embarrassed that Chase had apparently called in the Theta brotherhood, she became grateful they were available since Darcy_ had_ apparently abandoned her as she feared. She became more and more convinced Wickham had somehow poisoned him against her since he had taken her. Why did Darcy's feelings for her have to be so shallow? Why did she, a strong, independent woman fall so hard for him every single time?

Damn him for making her want and dream and expect him to be a knight in shining armor all over again.

After she climbed up the side ladder onto the Coast Guard ship, she saw the faces of the crew swim before her, and then proceeded almost immediately to lose consciousness. Darcy had just made it onto the deck and their eyes had met when she felt everything start to spin around her. He knew that look and yelled "Catch her!" before she crumpled at their feet.

Darcy wanted a helo to take her immediately to a top hospital in San Diego.

"F*ck your protocol Chase. I appreciate the Coast Guard and your protocol, but that is my fiance and my baby she is carrying. You pulled rank before keeping me from the rescue mission and I am pulling it now. My helo can land on this ship and take her immediately. I won't wait. I refuse to wait. So cut through the red tape with whatever protocols and phone calls you have to, but my helo is landing on this deck in less than 5 minutes and I'm taking her with me at that time. I have room for two more plus Liz and I. I want a medical officer on board and you if you chose to. If not, I'll take another medical officer."

"Darcy, they can't just leave the boat because you say so mid shift."

"100,000 grand to any person that leaves mid shift with me says I can. Money is no obstacle. I love her and she needs medical care. NOW. Make it happen, or get out of my way while I make it happen."

Liz was starting to stir in his arms.

"Darcy...William...Will. I looked for you on the yacht, where the hell have you been?"

"Where have I been? Elizabeth Bennet, you are going to make me crazy. I've been looking for you my whole life. I don't plan to lose you now."

She was slipping away from him again. He could tell as her eyes glazed over.

"Sweetheart, stay with me. What did he do to you, I need to know? Liz, Liz, please stay with me. Don't leave me...ever...stay Liz..."

The next thing Liz remembered was the sick feeling of warm stickiness between her legs and horrible sudden onslaught of stomach cramps while flying on the helo. She thought she had screamed at the medivac who seemed to be taking care of her not to let her "lose the baby". He had looked at her strangely when she had said it and quickly adjusted her IV. Will had looked at her with sad eyes, and what she thought was disappointment, it all faded to black after that.

She heard yelling. It was getting louder and louder and all Liz wanted was quiet and rest. She recognized the screaming as William's voice all at once.

"I told you, spare no expense, just**_ save it...""Save IT!_**"

Liz focused on those words. **_"Save it?"_** Liz already felt like she was physically dying and now her heart shattered around her. As much as she did not want to lose the baby, she just wanted them to make the searing pain go away. Apparently, Darcy was of an entirely different frame of mind. He didn't care about her. Had never cared about her. He just wanted them to save the baby. She knew it. The man from whom she had given up everything, sacrificed everything, thought of her as nothing more than a free surrogate baby hotel.

When this was over, no matter what happened, so were they. It hardly mattered though, as Liz was convinced she had already lost the baby and she would be lucky to survive at this point also. Darcy would have no burden and no responsibility. Maybe it was better this way.

He repeated in a near screech "...Just save it, I don't want to hear ANY excuses. Save HER. If you have to chose, promise me you will save HER. We can have more children, but I can never find another woman like Elizabeth. Please, just save her. Tell me what you need and I'll have it brought on my helo or the jet at once.." he squeezed her hand as the gurney was pulled away from him towards her surgery, "Liz, I love you more than anything, stay strong for me..." but Liz heard none of what he said.

As they wheeled her away from him and into surgery, Darcy nearly fell on the ground in the corridor. He had finally found her again and was now about to lose her. How could he have let this happen? What else could he do now to prevent his worst nightmare from becoming a reality right before him?

* * *

Uh, I hate myself too.

The good news it that you can make me feel so much better if you review!

Have a great week!

M


	38. Chapter 38: Aftershock

I may have tortured you all enough for one weekend...so in keeping with my policy on fairness and unicorn population control, I present to you my land of exploding rainbows and multiple birth unicorn land. I think the single unicorn I had planned to start with may have given birth to over a thousand of them. Tread carefully.

Please review and tell me if you now forgive me for all the angst!

Finally, I need just one more Favorite and one more Follow to get to even numbers. So come on people, help a sister out. 60 favorites and 125 follows would be a nice way to finish this. 59 and 124 just makes me feel so unloved.

Dedicating this chapter to first follower (SailorDreamer95) who joined after the last begging session for faves and follows.

THANKS!

When should I post the next chapter? Just two more to go...sitting here...just waiting for reader responses so I'll know when to upload.

Lady M

* * *

**Chapter 38: Aftershock **

They still didn't know what had happened or what she had endured, but the baby and Liz were both safe and secure in a private wing of Scripps Hospital in San Diego.

The medical team and security team he had provided were working in conjunction with local authorities and the Coast Guard. He had confirmed that Wickham had been killed, his Aunt was in custody, G was flying to San Diego on the jet now to join him at Liz's side along with her family and Charles had flown in to see Jane and beg her forgiveness two days ago so would be joing them.

Bittersweet. Everything he knew and was experiencing was bittersweet. If Elizabeth didn't forgive him for placing her in jeopardy, or their baby he didn't know how he would be able to go on.

The Dr's assured him that she had not been raped, although she had been beaten. Her placenta had slightly torn away while she defended herself from their attack, hence the bleeding and the fainting, but with bed rest and proper care, they thought her overall health and level of fitness would allow her to carry the baby to term. She would spend at least a week here and then he would be allowed to whisk her away to remain calm and pampered for the next 6 months until she gave birth to their child.

Now the only part of the puzzle that remained was to unravel the evil web Wickham had spun around their lives, to help Liz heal from her ordeal both mentally and physically and most importantly, for her to wake up. Being assured by a bunch of women and men in white coats was one thing. Hearing Liz speak, or witnessing her perk up at the sight of him, that would go a long way towards believing they would be OK. That she would be OK.

Held her her hand and waited. In panic that something else would again go wrong.

Chase had claimed that their relationship had been a_ train wreck_ so far. It had angered him when he said it, but he wasn't wrong. Why did he always seem to bring disaster down on the women he loved? When Darcy had told G that Liz had been beaten before they had found her, she had blamed herself. Blamed herself for falling victim to Wickham's ways. He reminded her that she was not the first, or the last, but now that he was dead, they could all start to heal. And told her that perhaps Lizzie's younger sister who appeared to be his most recent victim could also use her help.

Darcy knew that giving G a task would be the fastest way to get her out of her own head and her own hurtful thoughts. He thought about what he could say to himself to get past how terrible he was now feeling about everything Liz had been forced to endure because of their connection.

If only she would awaken and he could see for himself that she was OK. Maybe then he could get some of the nightmare he felt he was living out of his head. What had Wickham really done to her? What had she been made to suffer?

He would gladly have died a thousand times to spare her what he assumed she must have gone through in the last 48 hours.

He felt his phone vibrating in his pocket and answered it softly as he saw it was Alon. "Darcy, I have all the media from the boat. It isn't pretty, but it could have been a lot worse. You do know that Liz is like a secret martial art warrior right? Your girl is a super hero! They beat her, but I think she may have won that fight. You should see what she did to those men. I think this may be why Wickham didn't send you anything as a ransom. She emasculated them. They didn't put up much of a fight with the Seal team they sent it because most of them were still having trouble walking I would imagine. Don't ever be stupid enough to really piss her off. She could finish you. Still, I'm happy someone taught her those skills. She saved her life and probably her sisters as well. By the way, how is she? The baby?"

"Fine. Liz is fine. I have to go, I think she is finally waking up. Thanks for checking in, send me everything you found on the secure line on my mobile.

"Darcy?"

"Yes my love?"

"Why are you here?"

"Sweetheart, where else would I be? How are you feeling, what hurts? What can I do for you?"

"Just be honest and tell me how angry you are..."

"Angry?"

"Yes, at me, for losing the baby, for trying to defend myself, for not telling family about Wickham, for thinking I didn't need security..."

"Shush, Liz, quiet for a minute, don't get upset, please sweetheart. There is so much I need to say to you...please, calm down. Everything is going to be OK. I promise, alright."

"Just tell me, was it a girl or a boy? I have to know..."

"I don't know, I never asked."

"God, I'm sorry. I wanted it so much."

"Liz, don't be sorry, you are still going to have it, the baby is fine, you are fine. Sweetheart, you have to stop crying so I can talk to you."

"William Darcy, you could have started with that!"

"Sorry, I didn't mean to be obtuse, really, I swear. I thought you knew, you could sense it, feel it..."

"No, you can't usually feel them until the 4th or 5th month. And why didn't you find out if we are having a he or a she? What have you been doing the whole day, just sitting here? I expected more action from the head of a big Swiss bank. Do you just sit around all day and eat bon bons?"

"Stop trying to make me laugh Liz. I need to apologize to you before either of us says anything else..."

"Is this were you tell me you told them to save the baby first? Don't be sorry, you spoke from the heart, I, I, I said the same thing."

"What? What are you talking about? I never said that. Would never say that. You are everything to me. I said SAVE Her. Save my fiance. We can have more children, will have more children, but I will never find another Liz..." That is what I said, what I would still say. How can I live without you?"

Tears silently leaking out of her eyes again at his words, "Is this another instance of me misunderstanding you and putting the wrong words in your mouth? "

"Yes, it is. You are stubborn like a mule and so pig headed. But can you trust your heart. Can you trust me? Its you Liz. Only and always you. I know your nature is to distrust love and men and maybe me most of all as a combination of the two, but I need you to play this record in your head more often. I love you. I won't ever stop loving you. Nothing anyone says, or you say or do will make me stop loving you. And I love all of you, ever piece and facet and scar and laugh and memory and weird shoe choice -forever."

"I'm tired Will. Will you promise to be here when I wake up? I feel like I just need to close my eyes. But when I do, I see his face hovering over mine." He could tell she was on the verge of tears again..."I tried so hard to fight them. Sorry I was so helpless..."

"Stop apologizing. The only thing I'm mad about is that you see his face hovering over you instead of mine in your dreams. I'm going to fix that for you now. Take a mental picture, before I kiss you. Remember this Liz. This is real. This is us, this is our future. Wickham is dead, my Aunt is on her way to prison, and the only other people who would ever want to hurt you are perhaps a bunch of jealous self centered European socialites that I would assume will be jealous we got married and having a baby without them knowing. They will attempt to kill you with false kindness, but no matter, I am not letting those vultures anywhere near you EVER. Are we clear?"

"Yes, clear."

"So just close your eyes and rest sweetheart. Let that picture of Wickham and his men go. Just think of me... Dream of me... Kiss me... Marry me...Pleasure me...Make love to me...Make more Darcy babies with me...and promise to always love me as much as I love you..."

He stopped gently kissing her lips long enough to see that she had fallen back asleep. This time though, she smiled, and he hoped he had conveyed the depth of his feelings and that she dreamed now only of him and the life they would build, together.

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I'm not sure you can even count that many unicorns...

Don't forget to review/favorite or follow!

Hope you enjoyed it.

M


	39. Chapter 39: Sugarcoated

This was hard for me to write for only one reason. I actually lost two story followers when I posted the last chapter full of unicorns and rainbows. What is up with that?! Too many rainbows and unicorns? I just can't win here!

I did my best, I reserve the right to change it in the future. For now, here it is.

Just one more chapter to go, and then another, a small token of my thanks for sticking with me through this.

I'm going to work on Jungle Fever, my new story, once this Beni and Darcy are totally out of my head. I feel like I'm cheating on this couple somehow writing something else at the same time.

Thanks as always for the encouragement and reviews. To guest reviewer who accused me of comprising her moral compass, I am sorry. But I did really appreciate you referring to me as a young lady!

Cheers

M

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**Chapter 39: Sugarcoated**

Liz woke up still feeling achy and nervous. The fuzzy bits of her memory were clogged with images she wished she could forget. She intended to wipe the sleep from her eyes but found her hand held prisoner by a large and soft one.

For a microsecond she was petrified. She opened one eye and saw Will practically drooling in chair next to her hospital bed. Everything was as it should be. She used her left hand to wipe the sleep away instead. While she was sure he got little if not no sleep last night, he woke the moment she started to move.

"Liz, sweetheart, how are you feeling? What can I get for you?"

" I feel like I got hit by a train but I love that I woke up with you beside me. Not exactly the way I envisioned it in my dream, but I'll take it. Wait, before you kiss me, I need a toothbrush and a shower. "

"A toothbrush I can help you with. A shower is still a no no, but I'm more than willing in this instance to give you a sponge bath. "

He winked at her and she chucked at him. Since when did he have small talk skills and a sense of humor? He really seemed to be a different man. She liked them both, but she truly loved this one.

Almost before she could remind herself what she had just asked for, Will came back with a toothbrush, cup of water and a clean bed pan to spit into.

"Wow, this is real service. Now about that sponge bath..."

10 minutes later, the curtains in her room were open and beautiful sunny skies of San Diego were shining in. Liz could almost feel like she was on the water if she closed her eyes and thought back to happy times.

"Will, I am certain I can get up to use the shower. "

"Actually, the Doctors said no for now. "

"Why, did something happen with the baby last night."

"Actually, they wouldn't tell me anything, as technically, I am just your boyfriend. Due to some rule they called "hippo" and our unmarried status, which by the way I intend to change quickly, I'm not allowed to know anything about you or your condition. Once we finish your bath, I'll have them come in and speak with you. I'm sure it is just a precaution. "

Once her IVs were unhooked, and her entire gown taken off, Darcy gasped. He hadn't expected her to be as bruised or battered as she was. She was deep purple and blue everywhere. Liz got self-conscious almost instantly and was about to ask him to leave when she saw his face. It wasn't the face of disgust like she was expecting. It was the face of anger, and guilt. She knew she had to help him get over those feelings before they ate at him from within.

"I thought I could handle it, seeing what they did to you. But I don't know that I'm ever going to be able to forgive myself for being so selfish. I had to be with you, see you. I don't believe I thought at all about what you needed, but rather simply justified my own wants and desires by coming to you that day. How can you ever forgive me for my stupidity? I know I don't deserve you, but I'll do anything, anything Liz for your forgiveness..."

"Will, now is as good of a time as any. I'm naked and exposed, so just give me my bath, and let's talk about everything that happened once and for all. I need you to know all of it. I need to know all of your side and then let's put it behind us. We both need it to move forward."

"OK sweetheart, I'm listening..."

"He was in my room when we came home. He was hiding in the bathroom. I changed in my room into nicer clothes and was just going into the bathroom to grab some lip gloss. He covered my mouth, and whispered into my ear that he had my sister and that if I made a sound, he would kill her. He made me change in front of him and even forced me to grab my stupid purple shoes. He saw my scars and told me he was happy I had chosen you, as he wouldn't want damaged goods anyway. I told him about the baby. I thought it would appeal to his sense of humanity. He had acted kindly once, but that was a mistake. I saw his look turn into total rage. He didn't hit me, I guess because he assumed you would hear and try to rescue me, but I could tell it broke something in him. I kept trying to think about what I could drop or do so you would know what happened. I'm sorry I told him. Believed in him. I always though Jane was the naive one in our family. God how stupid and wrong was I?"

She looked up at him, on the verge of tears again and finally found the strength to continue in his gaze.

"He knew what I was doing, or thinking I guess, so he just threw everything on the floor, I think to throw you off and he forced me out the window. At this point, he gagged me and then tied my hands in front of me. There was someone waiting outside the window and they carried me to a van. I guess it was too dark for the neighbors to see anything. They drove slowly, the whole time he was yelling at me about how I had ruined his plans and how now he had to kill me, Darcy can have no heir etc. He just kept screaming that I had turned him into a murderer and my own blood would be on my hands..."

Darcy had finished bathing her and now was lightly drying her with a towel. Their eyes met, and she felt all at once vulnerable and completely protected and safe. Once he dried her, her wrapped her in a beautiful silk robe that she didn't recognize and forced herself to continue...

"He rambled on with his henchmen in the van about his plans to turn G into an addict again, steal everything your parents had left you, kill me and leave you penniless and alone. He was scary only because it seemed he had nothing to lose. At some point we stopped somewhere and they threw my little sister in with me. Until I saw her, I started to think he might not even have her and I had just given up everyone and everything for nothing. But when she was thrown in back with me, I knew he was really crazy. She seemed fine at first, like she had gone with him willingly and they only tied her hands when they put her with me in the back of the van. She just kept crying and apologizing and saying how sorry she was that she had let him into my apartment and told him so much about me..."

I knocked my head on something and when I came to, we must have been in the port in San Diego. I haven't been down there for a while, but my sister was convinced we had been driving South for a while and then they left us alone in the van for a while, but it was hot and we were too tired to do much as we were both so exhausted" Thinking about it now, they must have drugged us or something. I was incapable of doing much at that point. I think they put us into a shipping crate to get us on board. I don't even know if the first boat is the one we were rescued from. When that crate was opened, there were 5 of them and 2 of us."

He could tell it was hard for her to continue at this point, so he just held her hand and tried to convey all of his feelings while he caressed her hand.

" My sister is still such a baby in many ways. She had thankfully untied my hands when they packed us in the crate like animals and I didn't see any choice but to defend us both. I knew they would rape her and I guess me and then kill us, so I had to act. I'm not going to lie to you, those were some of the scariest hours of my life. My Dad insisted I take a few self defense classes when I wanted to spend so much time sailing as a kid. I even had a plan to sail around the world by myself at some point, so he wouldn't even think about it unless I could prove I could defend myself. "

"Remind me to thank your Dad when he arrives."

"They said and threatened horrible things to both of us. Things I won't bother to repeat. Then Wickham came and tried to join them. It was as if punishing me, hurting me, would punish you. He told me he had to purge your heir. Make sure the Darcy line ended with you. He was sick William. He scared me. I hurt him as best as I could to buy us more time. I, that is, I hope you don't...I don't even know what to say. I did the best I could under the circumstances. I'm sorry. I'm just so sorry. Knowing he had his hands all over me, I'll understand if you don't..."

"Wait, what? ...If I don't what Liz? Love you more than I loved you yesterday? ...Feel like I need to spend my life making this up to you? ...I think you are the most beautiful, capable, selfless and strongest woman on the planet. Please don't even forget that. I'm in awe of you. I'm so sorry for what he did to you, to us. But I'm so grateful your father and your brothers at Theta had the foresight to want to protect you. I owe them, and you everything. "

"My Theta brothers? How do they fit into this exactly?"

"Yeah, those geeks are incredible! Did you wonder how we found you in the middle of the ocean? Did you know your purple Crocs are actually the most beautiful shoes ever created? They found you with your shoes! Before you start laughing, let me explain. Your Theta brothers wanted to protect you, so they embedded some type of special transmitter in your Crocs. That's why they told you the shoes were special and were so happy you wore them all the time. When Chase found out you had them, he was over the moon. I was jealous of the relationship you have with him until I realized, or well observed him with G the last few days. I think something is going on there. But as you know my social skills are deplorable, so I'm counting on you fill me in."

What, I had a transmitter in my shoe? All this time? Who knew. I'll have to thank those guys when this is all over for being overprotective and kinda creepy. "

"I don't know if you could call them overprotective...they had a huge part in saving you! When my aunt got into financial trouble, she apparently let it be known her services could be hired. Her biggest service was her access to me and my staff. My assistant, most of her staff and many of the people working for me in various of my homes around Europe were apparently on Wickham's payroll. Were it not for G contacting your sister outside the home phone lines which were apparently all tapped and would reroute calls to your real phone and voice mail to dummy lines, I don't know that we ever would have figured things out. "

"Back up, did you say G and Chase?"

"Is that all you got out of everything I told you?"

"Well, it isn't all I got out of it, but it is the only thing I actually care about. Sweet. I actually love that. Do you think they'll last?"

"Like we will? I have no idea, but he's such a good guy, I honestly don't mind. "

"Wow Will, that is big of you to say."

"Hey, I admit its hard for me to say, but I wouldn't have you back, without his help, so that makes him good enough for my little sister. The fact that she seems really happy with him is even better. "

As Liz slowly got dressed again and had her IV reconnected, Will went to request that the Dr's would come and explain everything that had happened.

"Ms. Bennet, would you like Mr. Darcy to leave?"

"Uh no, for HIPPA purposes, please consider him like my husband for the purpose of this and all future conversations. Whatever you have to say to me, you can, I mean should say to him as well."

"Very well. So in cases of singleton pregnancies with placenta previa..."

"Singleton pregnancies?"

"Yes, where there is just one fetus..."

"Like ours..."

"No, yours in not a singleton. Now if you'll"

"What do you mean, ours is not a singleton? I'm not giving birth to a dolphin am I?"

"No, not a dolphin, but you do currently have two fetuses in utero."

"I'm pregnant with twins?"

"Yes, did you not know?"

"No, I, we didn't. Did we? Will, Oh my gosh."

Apparently unfazed by her reaction, the Dr. continued. "As I was saying, placenta previa with singletons has a certain course of action. Twins complicate things. So we would like for you to consider a reduction. "

"A reduction?"

"Yes, a reduction, where we eliminate one of the fetuses giving the remaining fetus a better chance at survival. "

"You mean there is a chance that..."

Your body was heavily traumatized, you got dehydrated and I'll be honest and say that anything could happen. In these types of cases, we generally encourage a reduction. We believe there will be a better chance of carrying at least one fetus to term. "

"Can you please call them babies. Fetus is just horrible. "

"Sorry, but not getting attached to them may be the better plan here. "

"Two babies. I have two babies growing inside of me. No wonder I was so sick." Lizzie suddenly realized she had said all of that out loud. "Can we have some time to discuss? " she calmed said to the Drs who seemed almost eager to leave the room.

As the Dr's exit the room, Will grabs Liz's hand. "Sweetheart, whatever you decide or want is fine with me. It is your body and your decision."

No, it isn't my decision, these are our babies. It is our decision. Please don't be so European or male about this"

"What? I'm both, what should I do?"

"You should get connected and feel with your heart, not your head. its ok to get emotional. The idea of killing one, who is perfectly OK now to make sure the other survives, I am not sure I can survive that. Can you? I know I want to get up and do yoga and pee in a toilet, but I would happily turn into an elephant and sit on my butt for the next 20 months if it meant I would give birth to two healthy babies. Your babies..."

"Liz, I, this might sound selfish, but I can't lose you again."

"Will, he didn't say anything about losing me, but could you honestly agree to killing a growing baby and not believing in us, in me? I'll be good, I'll lie here for the next 5 months in silence and I won't complain. Not one word. I'll be the model patient. I've been doing yoga for years. My body is in excellent shape. I trained for this every day, don't take it away from me now..."

"I just, what if, no, I can't even think it...I won't say it..."

If we lose them both? If instead of two, we have nothing. Then we know we tried our hardest, did our best and it wasn't meant to be. We still have each other. "

"You are amazing. I have never ever wanted anything as badly as I want this with you. But promise me you are not doing it for me, or what you think I want right?"

" No, I can do this. My body can do this. I know I can. I know we can..."

Will called the Drs back into the room and Liz proceeded to tell them of their joint decision to try to carry both babies to term.

If the Drs were disappointed, they didn't let it show. They did however insist that she stay in the hospital for the next week under observation and on full bed rest and continue on strict bed rest for the remainder of the pregnancy/ The demanded that wherever she would go had to have easy access to medical facilities with a neonatal ward and neonatal surgeons no more than 5 minutes from whatever their final destination.

She turned to Darcy as the Drs prepared to leave the room again.

"I know you'll have to go back to Europe, you do have a bank to run. I get it. Just promise to come as often as you can OK?"

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about the time until the babies are born. I'll stay here near my family so I have support and people to take care of me. I think I can handle travelling to LA in an ambulance or a helicopter or whatever can be arranged. You'l l come in when you can. "

"Stop planning everything for everyone my sweet. G will be thrilled to have a semester in LA and I'll move my portable HQ here. "

"I may know very little about finance, but how can a Swiss bank become an LA bank. Isn't the whole point that you are in Switzerland? "

"Not to worry. The bank will stay in Switzerland, but whatever I can do from home in Switzerland, I can do from my home in LA..."

"I don't want to be annoying, but I see only one small problem, you don't have a home in LA and I can't imagine you want to live on board the Pemberley for months on end. Just getting off the dock will take you more than 5 minutes..."

"Ha, problems that can be fixed with money are the easiest kind. Where would you like to live? Name your neighborhood and we'll have houses to look at within a few hours."

"Bed rest and a week in this hospital luxury suite means I can't look at houses? "

"Online virtual tours? Yes you certainly can."

"Oh, ok, but please don't think me old fashioned, but I can't just live with you and G yet. "

"Liz, I don't really care where or how, but before we leave this hospital, I intend to make you my wife."

"You really want me to get married in a hospital gown wearing my sparkly purple Crocs? If yes, who are you and where is the real William Darcy?..."

"I promise you I am the same guy, with my priorities sorted out and my dreams realized. I would like nothing better than for you to wear those shoes and this gown when we get married. I can have the hospital priest up here in 5 minutes. In fact, I already spoke to him. Just tell me when you are ready. I'm more than ready and I won't change my mind. Not now, not ever. "

"Charming, but you do know that you haven't actually asked me to marry you right? You could walk out of this room in 2 minutes and all I would have to convince me that this was not all a delicious dream would be my memories. "

"I thought you would never ask. "

Leaning down on the side of her bed, caressing her stomach and holding her hand, William looked into her sparkling mischievous eyes and said quietly ..."Liz Bennet, you are my better half, my future, my past and everything I want my life to be. Will you end my suffering and agree to make me the happiest man alive? Will you marry me?"


	40. Chapter 40: Back to the Future

The fact that something I wrote had someone running around their room flapping their arms around made me wildly happy. Thank you all so much for the reviews, the love, the encouragement and the ideas.

Huge thanks to my favorite RedHead reviewer who has been more helpful than she realized!

This story is still dedicated to one of my very first FF reviewers Isabelle (Etoile 27), who died before I could complete it. Cabin 27 was in her honor.

Grateful and honored that you all read and cared so much.

In thanks,

M

* * *

**Chapter 40: Back to the Future**

Liz had been wrong.

It had turned out to be exactly 6 months to the day they found out they were having twins ~ 6 months of starting at his beautiful wife lying in bed, and 6 months since he had been able to make love to her or excite her, for fear of doing anything that would jeopardize their still growing son and daughter.

As if to prove everyone who thought they had made a bad choice wrong, _his Liz_ had of course delivered both babies healthy, naturally at exactly 40 weeks with no complications. She had never complained about anything from the moment she became steadfast in her resolve to keep them both inside of her. The only thing she agree to reduce were their travel plans and her expectations of herself when it came to work.

Before they had met, William knew Liz planned to pay off her own loans, see her company become successful and have a wildly successful career. She could still be successful, but right now he was hellbent on helping her work on being less sleep deprived.

His wife refused to give in. Although it wasn't a surprise, or it shouldn't have been, she want to nurse, she wanted to cosleep, she wanted to be the first thing her babies saw in the morning and the last face they saw every night and everything in between.

It had been 6 weeks since she had finally given birth to their miracle babies. He loved Liz and he loved his son and his daughter, but now, he was going to be selfish. He needed his wife back. At least a little bit.

* * *

Liz was so tired, she no longer knew day from night. The end of her pregnancy had been like hell on earth, but she had promised not to complain, and so she had done nothing but smile, meditate for patience, practice her kegel and pelvic floor strengthening exercises and assure Will that they had made the right choice. Now that the babies were here, she felt like she was wrapped in a hazy cocoon of surreal magic that was interrupted only by occasional cries, demands of nature on her body and very few intervals of sleep.

She still could not believe the look on Will's face when she had started to push. She knew her stomach was now frightful, but he had seen it before. Perhaps he hadn't seen what burned scar tissue looked like when stretched with twin babies, but she thought, had hoped he was over it. His look of total revulsion had left her feeling vulnerable and unsatisfactory in his eyes. She had done everything for the last 6 weeks, no 6 weeks and 6 months to prove her worthiness. She had of course been right that she was physically able to carry their babies to term, but she hoped she had not lost him in the process. The doctors had just given her the green light to be physically intimate again, but playing the aggressor in that game was not something she was good at at the best of times. Now with her body not even back to what it had been when they had been able to be intimate, she doubted she had the self confidence or ability to appear attractive. She knew she needed to do something, but was entirely stumped as to what. How exactly you go about " trying to attract your husband after you spent the last number of months looking like a beached whale and then finally gave birth to two whales while he watched " was not a topic you could type into Google and receive a quick answer for. Maybe if she took a nap after she nursed them and got them to sleep, it would all become clear.

She had spent the first month since giving birth to their babies almost perpetually naked, or at least without a shirt on most of the time. Something about "airing her nipples" and chaffing and nursing tenderness. Will chose not to learn the details. He knew he would sound like a cad if he had said what he had really wanted, which was "please get dressed, I can't stand to be around you like that and not get excited and want you". But he was too polite and too overwhelmed by the love he had for Liz and their children, and the exhaustion he felt from trying to keep up with her. How did she have so much energy and would it always be like this? They never had a minute alone, and by the time one was sleeping and satisfied, the other would wake up and want to nurse. He had near insisted they take a maid or live in helper and she had refused.

Why was she doing this to him? To them? Did she not realize how badly he wanted her and needed her. Didn't she realize that her schedule and plans meant they would never have family time together? That he barely got a chance to hold or enjoy or snuggle with the babies himself? Was he being childish? Selfish? Should he ask? Should he beg? God he wished he knew the right things to say. He never knew the right things to say. At lest he knew that. He did know something, but it was a small accomplishment.

G and Chase were sailing in the Caribbean right now and most ly out of contact so he couldn't ask her, or him. Jane and Bingley were still on their own extended honeymoon. He felt all alone and adrift. However, lucky for him, G and Chase were actually closer, or at least more available than he thought.

When he had finally had enough. He found himself pacing outside of Liz's bedroom. He had given her her own room –even though they were married when we feared his inability to leave her alone and untouched at their Dr's orders would drive him insane. It had evolved into a cosleeping paradise for the babies and Liz had stayed. He finally stopped himself outside the doors and laid his head against the door frame. He wanted to gather the courage to say to her what he needed to say. I need you. He didn't think he had ever said it to anyone, so he had practiced it a few times to get it right.

From inside the room, he heard Liz in what he knew must be a video call with G. Lucky, the babies were apparently nursing, and the speakers were turned up, so he could hear everything.

He was shocked and slightly embarrassed about their discussion. He was also thrilled they were having it.

"G, he doesn't love me anymore, I know it. He hasn't even slept with me since..."

"Liz, what in the world are you talking about? I know he loves you. He doesn't care about your scars, he never has. You just had twins and you were on bed rest for nearly 6 months and before that you were beaten and kidnapped by his nemesis. Would you seriously have wanted him to try?"

"Well, it would be nice to know he at least wanted to."

"Liz, you do know how irrational you sound right now, right? And that it is probably the hormones talking..."

"No G, the hormones are definitely not talking...that is the whole problem. Are you even listening to me? Your brother looks at me like I am nursing cow with animals to feed. I can't, I don't know what I did wrong, or how to fix it. Please can you guys come home and help me? I'm so tired all the time, I'm not even sure I'm coherent right now, but we need you guys. Or at least I need you, I know Will doesn't ever need anyone..." at this, he could no longer hear what G was saying and was having a hard time holding himself back from just barging into her room and setting the record straight. "Yes, OK, I'll try to get more sleep." More muffled noise "No, I still won't consider a night nurse, or a day nurse! My gosh G, don't you see, if I said yes, he wouldn't need me at all..." What was his sister saying? "No, I am not overreacting. Ok, fine, I'll sleep now that they are both asleep. I love you too sis."

Darcy was floored by what he had heard through the door. How did his wife manage to misunderstand him all the time? How in the world had he let her feel that way. What was the right way to fix it and get them back on track? He didn't think barging in when she was exhausted and demanding she listen to him was the right answer, even those he itched to do just that.

As he walked away from her door, hell bent on not bothering her now so she could sleep, he had two ideas. First, he would hire a nurse for first thing tomorrow morning and worry about explaining the real reason he was doing it to her when she wasn't so tired and would see reason. Second, he would call Chase. He had always known how to talk to Liz and get through to her.

As he was walking away from her suite, his phone started to vibrate. He looked at the caller ID, it was Chase.

"Darcy, you idiot and my soon to be brother in law. What the hell are you doing over there?"

"Hi Chase, nice to hear from you."

"I wish this was a something other than me smacking you upside the head, phone call. What the hell man? Liz sounds terrible. G just spoke to her. What did you say to her man? Or maybe I should be asking what didn't you say?"

"I... I didn't say anything. I think that, as usual is the problem."

"Yes, that is normally your problem. You stare and you brood and you assume and Liz let's her fears overtake her and then the two of you are like eels trying to share the same hole."

"Eels Chase, did you just compare my wife and I to eels?"

"Ok, forget the eels, you are like puppies trying to share the same tennis ball. Happy now?"

"Yeah, I'll take puppies over eels. Happy is debatable though."

"Back to my point, you filthy rich social misfit, Liz is scared you don't need her, don't want her and that you saw her give birth to your children and will never want to be with her again. In short, she feels unattractive and unloved. She is also exhausted and trying really hard to prove herself at this motherhood thing. By the way, G and I are never having twins. She seems really wiped."

"Yeah, thanks Chase, you know we planned them and this whole situation."

"Darcy, that is exactly what I am talking about. You may not feel it yet, but you better be spouting off about rainbows and unicorns when you talk about Liz and the kids. She is magic, she is doing a great job, everything she does is better than you can imagine it and she is amazing. Now, repeat after me. _**Beni, I love you.**_"

"I don't call her Beni."

"Fine, call her Unicorn Dust or whatever you want, but you need to start kissing the ground she walks on, making her realize how much you want and need her and how much you love her. She also needs to hear that none of your feelings changed when you saw her expanded twin stomach push your children out of it, and that even if she becomes a fat cow, you'll feel the same way."

"How did you get so smart Chase?"

"Darcy, everything I know about women I learned from Beni...so just talk to her you idiot. Do you need me to fly home now, and put you both in a room together until you work it out? Because I'll do it, if that is what it takes!"

"No, I think I got it now Chase."

"You better have it, because my future brother needs to do better than that."

"Future brother?"

"Yeah, I asked G to marry me, she said yes. We were going to wait to tell you until we got back, but..."

"Its fine. You have my blessing."

"I didn't ask you."

"I know, but you have it."

"Thanks."

"Now, go talk to her idiot, before you lose your nerve."

"I wanted her to sleep."

"Trust me, she isn't sleeping, she is worrying, about you, which is stupid, but she is so tired she is illogical right now. So turn around and go back to her, right now. Trust me on this..."

"Wish me luck."

"You don't need luck you moron. You have Beni. That is all the luck you ever need."

Chase hung up on him. He was now on his own. What was he saying, he did have Beni...Chase was right. it would be OK as long as he could get her to listen and himself to speak.

He went back to her room, knocked quietly on the door and then let himself in.

His son and daughter were both sleep on the extra large king sized mattress next to his wife. His beautiful wife who he couldn't imagine ever being apart from, who was as necessary to him as air or water. Who felt insecure about his love for her, need for her, want for her. Why in the world was this so hard for him?

"Hi" she said. "They are asleep. I was going to take a nap. Do you want to join me?"

"Um, No, I..."

Misunderstanding what she thought was his rejection, she answered "Ok, so I don't think I'll be down for dinner. I miss you Will..."

Not planing to let herself be any more hurt, she started to fluff her pillow and acted towards him like she was going to sleep. Why did he have to drag this out between them? It was clear he just wanted to leave.

With her head down so he wouldn't see her tears, she was surprised when she saw his legs right next to her. "Scoot over sweetheart. I need more room."

Hearing this, she looked up at him, barely allowing herself to hope..."You need more room? What? Wait, I said that to you once. "

"Yes, you did, and then you slept with me. I'm sort of hoping for a repeat performance if you aren't too tired. Liz, I ..."

"Will, before you say anything..."

"No, Liz. You have to allow me to say this. All of it, to you. Then you can say whatever you want. I promise. "

"Do you still want me to scoot over? "

"Yes, I do. Family bed right? You are my family, this is my family..." gesturing wide to include their sleeping babies in his statement.

"Yeah"

Darcy laid down on the bed with her, wrapped his arms around her an held her close. "Liz, I'm so lost without you, I feel the need to check my heart is still beating at times. I am a total idiot when it comes to understanding you, and you aren't much better with me. So please listen when I tell you that I love you more, need you more, dream about you more, fantasize about you more than I ever have. I will repeat this as many times as you need to hear it, but please pay attention now. I DO NOT CARE about your stomach or your scars. That beautiful stomach just carried my two children for 9 months. I would worship it, if only you would let me. You are beauty personified for me. Do you have any idea how hard it has been to keep my hands off you for the last 6 months and 6 weeks? I felt sometimes, most of the time, ok, who am I kidding, nearly all the time, like I would explode from wanting you.

The only thing I was trying to do by making suggestions and getting you help was/is to support you. To help you, to do whatever I could to make things easier for you. Not because I think you aren't capable or worthy, but because we have the money and as much as I can ease your burden, help you get sleep and be a happier mommy, I want to do that. It hurts me to see you so tired and overwhelmed. I can help you. Please, let me help you. You kept insisting they were "our" babies, so please, now it is time for you to share. Admittedly. I can't nurse them, but I can do everything else and I'm willing and happy to learn. What I am not happy to do is sleep down the hall like some kind of social outcast from my own family.

I need you in my arms, I want to make love to my wife, and I want you to know how very much I cherish, love and honor you. If I thought buying you a bigger diamond than your wedding ring would help, I would do it. But I know that stuff doesn't speak to you, so I don't begrudge that you won't even wear my grandmothers ring. Still, tell me how I can possibly express my elation, my joy at this gift you have given to us and it will be yours. I want you to want for nothing. For our children to want for nothing. But if you will reject everything material I have to offer, there is still absolutely no reason you can't have a few hours off, or let someone else watch them sleep. On this, you are just being stubborn, and now I am putting my foot down.

I called your parents. Your mom should be here soon."

"You called my mother?"

"Again, is that the only thing you got out of everything I said, that I called your mother? Liz, how do I get through to you?"

"No, that is not the only thing I got out of it. I just want to know when exactly she'll be here?"

"I don't know, an hour maybe. She said she had to gather essential oils, or spirits or something..."

"Perfect!"

"Perfect?"

"Yeah, perfect. It means I have plenty of time to be with you until she gets here. It might be embarrassing for her or for you if she walked in on us."

"Liz, please don't tease me. I can only take so much."

"This is anything but a tease. I assure you. I love you William Darcy. Now please, stop talking and make love to me. I assure you that I miss my husband just as much as you miss your wife..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~THE END~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thank you all for sailing with me on this incredible journey. This marks the completion of my first novel!

I hope you'll join me next with Jungle Fever...

Grateful,

Lady M


	41. Chapter 41: Epilogue

THIS IS REALLY IT!

Thanks for all of the love and support! What a wild ride it has been.

Don't forget to check out Jungle Fever...

Every Review/Favorite/Follow sincerely appreciated.

* * *

Every year on the anniversary of the conception of their first child, Liz and Darcy would fly (sans children) to San Rosings and pay homage to their humble beginnings in Cabin 27.

To pay off his Aunt's debts once she was in prison, Darcy had developed the estate into an exclusive resort, but the area near the staff cabins had been restricted and now formed their own private Island. Only the Darcy children (of which he had his own basketball team thanks to a lovely little girl that followed the twins and then two more boys, one by one, that followed shortly after them), Georgiana and Chases crew and Rich's family were also allowed to enter their private haven. Of course, Charles and Jane were also invited to stay as often as possible so the cousins could remain close even though they were normally separated by the Atlantic.

The cabins had all been torn down except for number 27 to make way for a smaller, more intimate family lodge where all of them could stay at one time, or any couple and or their children who wanted an escape from the continent. The island remained a family paradise and their communal summers on the island were some of the best times of their lives.

While they had homes all over Europe, each more showy than the last, Liz always prefered San Rosings when she wanted to unwind.

Her love for Darcy had never faltered after her horrible misteps and misunderstands early in their relationship. How she could have ever thought him untrustworthy, insincere or pompous was now laughable to her. He has changed diapers, helped with 2AM feedings, cuddled and enjoyed all of their children straight through their infancy until today with the kind of steadfast, loving manhood she had previously only dreamt of. He was indeed, her Price Charming.

As she sat on the rooftop of the cabin deck and thought back about her past and wondered of their future, she couldn't imagine how much her life had changed, how lucky she was or how grateful.

Her newest and latest pregnancy surprise was just that. At 37, she had thought her child bearing years were over and they were done. Of course, she mused they must have not communicated correctly about contraception again –which for them was something of a running joke. They already had more children than anyone else they knew, or anyone in their circles considered fashionable. Still, she knew their marital intimacy and fidelity was talked about with terms of respect among their peers. She had feared once when picture of her stomach after her 4th baby had been leaked and spread on the internet. William had perhaps known how she would react better than anyone. He had come home from his city office as soon as he had heard and been shown the photos, gathered her in his arms, kissed her soundly, wiped her tears, listening to her ridiculous fears and then proceeded to show her just how much he loved her all over again. Their youngest son, Alon had been born almost 9 months later as if on special order to remind her always of his feelings for her and his lack of feelings about her stomach or her scars.

Liz had wanted to make Darcy a party when he had turned 40, but then realized her husband was not the type to like the fuss of a milestone surprise party. She figured instead that she would like to have a private party for him here, in their special place. But this time was different. It was almost 4 years later, and now she had just found out she was pregnant again. How would he feel about having another baby at almost 45? Would he resent her? Would he tell her he had had enough? She thought she knew, she hoped she knew him well enough to anticipate his answer –that every good team needed extra players and that he would be thrilled with another child. But what if he wasn't? How would she tell him she wanted it even if he didn't?

As soon as she felt her own anxieties starting to fester, she tried to swallow them down with all she knew and had learned about her husband before and since their marriage. _He will want this, he'll be happy. Just tell him_.

As she tried to convince herself to be brave, she felt him kiss the top of her head and place a tall glass against her cheeks filled with cool liquid.

Long Island Ice Tea, of course he remembered and of course, she couldn't drink it given her present condition.

She accepted the glass and then put it down on the table next to her while giving him her best guilty smile.

"Thank you sweetheart. Did you make that yourself? I'm sorry you went to all of the trouble. I would, I hope you always know, always rather have your company. These weekends are too few and far between. You know I love you Will, right? Always?" Oh gosh, Liz chided herself, since when had she started to ramble again when nervous?

"Yes, but why the melancholy and the trip down memory lane? Alon is almost 4. We can have these weekends more and more often now, no?" Liz nearly winced at his words.

"I know, I just, well, I miss you sometimes. Even though I see you ever day. I just miss you. Just me and you, I miss that."

"I know, but raising our family is something I wouldn't give up for anything. Would you?" At this, Liz got her bright smile back and looked at him quite happily. She came over to sit on his loungechair and practically launched herself into his lap. He grunted for a second and made room to accommodate her.

"Was there something wrong with your chair?"

Her only answer was; "Move over, I need more room please. "

"More room? You are as skinny and fit as ever, when have you ever really needed more room? In fact, I can think of lots of other ways I would rather have your body pressed up against mine that require less room and aren't on a lounge chair..."

"William"

"Yes"

"Do you really mean that?"

"You know I mean that –always."

"Ok, but will you promise not to be insulted if I throw up on you?"

"What? Why would you throw up on me? You only throw up when you are, **oh my God Liz!** Are you serious? Are you pregnant? "

"I'm trying to decide how to answer...are you angry Will?"

"Angry? You must be kidding. Oh honey, I couldn't be more excited. Why didn't you tell me though sooner though? You must have been in agony on the boat yesterday. Is that why you spent so much time down below? You were down there being sick, hiding from me? Honey, after 10 years together and 5 kids, you didn't think you could be honest and just tell me about a baby? " Darcy tweaked her nose as he added "What will I ever do with you?"

"Just love me..."

Placing kissed along her jaw he answered her..."I do... I will... I always have.. and I always, always will..." He extracted himself off the lounge chair, picked her up in her arms as he had once done once before from this exact spot and proceeded to carry her back down the stairs to their very first bedroom. Liz had always thought nothing could be sweeter than their first time together. Somehow, even after all these years, he had always proved her wrong. This time was no exception.

"Always Liz, never doubt that. I will always love you..."

* * *

Thank you for coming with me on this journey. So much has happened in sch a short period of time. I started this (now novel) writing from my bomb shelter during the latest Gaza War as a way to pass the time. It turned into something I never expected (85K words later!). Your reviews, encouragement and begging were such much a part of where it went and the success of the story.

Heartfelt gratitude and thanks from this first time writer for every reader, reviewer, favorite and follow.

More to come (not this story, but Jungle Fever and others)

Cheers for now (I think I need a drink)!

Lady M


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